The Jacobean heritage, tangible and intangible, will be the protagonist of the space that the Portuguese Federation of the Saint James Way (FPCS), will present to the public during the Lisbon Tourism Fair – BTL, between 1 and 5 March, at the International Fair of Lisbon.

For the first time, the Portuguese Federation of the Saint James Way, which brings together 50 Portuguese municipalities and associations through which the Ways of St. James pass, will be presented at BTL, highlighting the cultural experience that walkers can enjoy during the “camino” experience.

Ana Rita Dias, President of the FPCS and Deputy Mayor of Vila Pouca de Aguiar states that “The mission of the Federation is to implement a national strategy for the improvement, dissemination and promotion of these pilgrimage routes. And the pilgrimage routes of Santiago should be recognised for their potential as “tourism products”, as they have a strong capacity to attract people with different motivations, from faith, contact with nature, culture, gastronomy, heritage. The challenge we are launching, and which we highlight, consists of walking the Way of St. James, getting to know the ancestral routes and the rich Jacobean heritage, tasting the Portuguese knowledge and flavours along the routes and living the experience of a lifetime”.

Monumental cathedrals, simple chapels of Jacobean devotion, monasteries, legends and stories of pilgrims and breathtaking landscapes will be present in the space, either through their graphic representation in the stand itself and in the promotional materials, or through the animations that, throughout the days, will bring the place to life.

Each Member of the Federation (about fifty Portuguese municipalities along the Pilgrims’ Routes to Santiago, a dozen Pilgrims’ Associations and even a Parish) was invited to bring its most characteristic monument and the intangible traditions associated with the theme, highlighting the Way of St. James as an important Cultural Tourism Product of our country, where the authenticity of the Jacobean hospitality that characterizes us plays a key role.

Moments of live crafts, dramatizations of popular culture, tasting of the typical gastronomy of each route or specialized information for pilgrims, among others, will be part of a program of constant animation in the space of the Portuguese Federation during all the days of the fair.

The Lisbon Tourism Fair is the reference show for the National Tourism industry. The 2022 edition, still marked by the post-pandemic context, registered 45,569 visitors between professionals and the general public and counted with the participation of 1407 exhibitors (direct and indirect), in an exhibition area of 45,000m2 divided into four pavilions. The 2023 edition fully resumes the activities of animation and promotion of the territories, with an agenda full of experiences for those who visit the fair, transforming the fair into a fantastic “journey” to the main tourist attractions of the country and the world.

Visit the Portuguese Federation of the Way of St. James in Hall 2, stand 2A11 (in the upper north part, next to the access to Hall 1).

National Pilgrim’s Day in Portugal

The Municipality of Vila Pouca de Aguiar celebrated the National Day of the Pilgrim in Portugal, with a 10 km walk on the Portuguese Interior Saint James Way, last Sunday, October 16th.

The initiative comes to relaunch the pilgrimage from Vila Pouca de Aguiar, in stages, started before the pandemic, with the gradual objective of completing the arrival to the Compostela Cathedral.

The initiative was also part of the municipal campaign “Pink October” dedicated to raising awareness to Breast Cancer.

The journey carried out was very pleasant, with a low degree of difficulty, following the ancient path of medieval origin, from Sabroso to Vidago villages, with great safety and scenic beauty for the pilgrim.

More information about Portuguese Interior Saint James Way: https://cpisantiago.org/

The European Federation of the Saint James Way celebrated its tenth anniversary on 30 June at a meeting hosted by the Federação Portuguesa do Caminho de Santiago and the town of Vila Nova de Gaia. The event highlighted a decade of activities promoting and publicising the Camino de Santiago throughout Europe, and introduced to the public the digital tools which have been developed as part of the European project Creative Loci Iacobi, financed by the Council of Europe via the COSME programme.

The celebration also included the Portuguese Federation joining its European counterpart. The municipality of Vila Pouca de Aguiar had been the only representative of Portugal, so this action also marked the addition of a second Portuguese entity in the European Federation, this time at the national level, and the possibility of including the rest of the Portuguese Ways under the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, which currently applies only to the Inland Way (Viseu – Chaves).

The event was attended by representatives of the European delegations, as well as the Portuguese delegation: Poland (current chairs of the FECS): Piotr Całbecki, Marcin Drogorób, Jacek Gajewski; Lithuania: Algis Kašėta, Gintarė Jociunskaitė, Dainius Varnas; France: Clemence Damians; Spain: Galicia – Laura María González-Dopeso Portela; Asturias – Pablo León Gasalla; Netherlands: Manon Luijten.

The Region of Cantabria also participated through the Camino Lebaniego Foundation, whose incorporation had been approved in the General Assembly the previous day.

Alongside the European delegations, the main regional and national entities relating to St James’ Way were guests at the ceremony, as of course were all the current members of the Portuguese Federation of the Saint James Way.

This event was organised by the European Federation of the Saint James Way, the Portuguese Federation of the Saint James Way, and the Town Council of Vila Nova de Gaia, and was held in the historic Cavas Ferreira.