Its humour never detracts from the issues that the book, rather than trying to resolve, has the merit of raising.
With text by Ricardo Henriques and illustrations by André Letria, ‘Jean, John and João’ adds a welcome artistic and creative irreverence to the fortunately prolific literature on the subject of the Peninsular War. The historical component and didactic ambition are notable, but there is something else that makes this work stand out. Two centuries on, the authors reflect—one by writing, the other by drawing—on what happened and wonder if it couldn’t have happened differently. They were perhaps somewhat surprised by what they also learnt in the process. And we’re the winners, because the result of their restlessness could hardly have been more successful.
In their final reflection, for which they enlisted the help of none other than the hero Hercules, a ‘specialist in impossible tasks’, it is suggested that one of the advantages of the Allied victory was that they managed to ‘delay the opening of croissant shops in the country by two centuries’. A few paragraphs earlier, attention was drawn to the absurd human losses caused by the conflict.
‘Jean, John and João’ was sponsored by the Historical Route of the Lines of Torres Vedras and is now available in most Portuguese bookshops.
The 9th edition of the Mercado Oitocentista took us back in time to the 19th Century.
The Mercado Oitocentista is a recreation of a market and the daily life of a small rural village, covering the stories, themes and characters usually present in these 19th century places and events. With the principle of preserving and safeguarding local cultural heritage, ‘Arruda in 1824: Stories from an Enchanted Valley’ was the theme chosen for this edition.
In this Mercado, History and stories are told based on the beliefs and centuries-old traditions that characterised Arruda’s popular identity in the 19th century.
Groups of local entertainers acted out the experiences and events of the municipality’s history in the streets of the 19th Century Market.
As usual, visitors were welcomed by the Podas e Vindimas Folk Group.
The legends of Ana Loira (the Witch of Arruda) and of the Giant, as well as the stories of Napoleon Bonaparte and of King Manuel I, were brought to life by the puppet theatre company Cabeças no Ar e Pés na Terra, which, together with the ‘Viagem no Tempo’ (‘Journey through Time’), in the Pátio do Morgado, and the theatrical animation ‘Trupe de Cavalo de Pau’ (‘Wooden Horse Troupe’), by Saga Stórica, made the historical town of Arruda dos Vinhos a popular gathering place.
The ‘Contos no Morgado’ (‘Tales at Morgado’) were performed by technicians from the Irene Lisboa Municipal Library, and the Tourism Sector of the Arruda dos Vinhos Municipality organised, on Saturday and Sunday, two guided tours of the 19th century town. The Pattern Workshop took place on 1 and 2 June, with the participation of Recreate.
Delicious delicacies and the miraculous Encharcada were duly tasted, with the participation of Cabeças no Ar and Pés na Terra.
There were several permanent entertainment events, such as the Artisan Carousel, the Artisans' Square, and the Time Machine, which are already hallmarks of this event.
The Mercado Oitocentista promises to return in 2025 to celebrate its 10th edition.