On the Historic Route of the Lines of Torres Vedras we're all cicadas, but cicadas made into ants, the kind of cicada that just can't sit around doing nothing. Between preparing the French toast, soaking the Christmas cod and hanging ornaments on the tree, we've prepared a whole magazine for you. Invade No. 9 is here, and with it lots of suggestions so that you don't miss anything for a great start to the New Year in the Lines region.
While the printed version doesn't arrive at the usual locations - the Lines of Torres Vedras Interpretation Centres and Tourist Offices in the region, as well as the Ask Me offices run by Turismo de Lisboa - you can access the online version right here on the InvadeMAG portal, from where you can also download the PDF edition.
Happy holidays!
Who has never thought: 'I would like to learn more about the history of this country, while at the same time, as supporter of the right to self-determination of peoples that I am, I could act to prevent the conquest of Portugal by Napoleon's troops; and all this I would like to do in an atmosphere of fun and joyful fraternisation, in a loving circle of family and friends, snacking on Portuguese Christmas delicacies'.
We know that the above thought has visited you on many occasions. And it's because we know this that we hasten to inform you that, during the month of December, you can buy the game "Napoleon Bonaparte: the beginning of the end" at the Lines of Torres Vedras Interpretation Centres in Arruda dos Vinhos, Bombarral, Loures, Mafra, Sobral de Monte Agraço, Torres Vedras and Vila Franca de Xira, with a 30% discount.
Who has never thought?
It is only fair that on the twelfth anniversary of its Lines of Torres Vedras Interpretation Centre, an occasion as venerable as it is resonant, the municipality of Sobral de Monte Agraço should present the CILT – and you – with a gift: not a gift of material opulence, mind you, but a gift woven in the universal language of music, celebrating the union of various cultures, from Brazil to Macau, from the USA to Portugal, while also paying tribute to some of the greatest poets of the Portuguese language.
The concert by the Fontenelle Trio, formed by Felipe Fontenelle, João Pedro Santos and Ciro Lee, takes place on 2 December at 9.30pm at the Sobral de Monte Agraço Municipal Auditorium. You have until 30 November to register, free of charge, by emailing cilt@sobral.pt. Enrolment is, of course, subject to capacity.
Go there, enjoy yourself and don't forget to say happy birthday to the Sobral de Monte Agraço CILT. And the next day, because the younger ones are also entitled to a present, take them to the CILT, right in the town centre, so they can try on the barretine of a Peninsular War soldier and see the objects he carried in his rucksack. Registration, which is free but compulsory, should be sent by 1 December to the e-mail address above.
Every year, around this time, we collect the fallen leaves of Autumn to compose the Winter edition of Invade magazine. With issue 9, a conversation with Peninsular War scholar Mark S. Thompson about his book 'Wellington and the Lines of Torres Vedras' is on the way. We'll talk, of course, about the launch of InvadeMAG.. We'll have powerful spotlights aimed at the New Invasions Festival and the National Day of the Lines of Torres Vedras, which will equally shine on the inebriating rooms of the Wine and Vineyards Museum - Bucelas. We'll also tell you about how beautiful the 1st Marchinha dos Fortes was, learn how to appreciate nectars and make good friends at the cosy Adega Cooperativa da Lourinhã, introduce you to the exquisite simplicity of the Minimal House Bombarral accommodation and offer you the usual suggestions on where to enjoy the local cuisine, where to rest your head and body and, in short, how to fully enjoy a visit to the Lines of Torres Vedras.
When the magazine is ready, we'll sound the trumpets. Until then, visit us here and keep up to date with the best of what's happening in our region.
If you're an illustrator over the age of 18, or a future great artist who is currently attending secondary school in the municipalities of the Historic Route of the Lines of Torres Vedras (Torres Vedras, Bombarral, Lourinhã, Sobral de Monte Agraço, Arruda dos Vinhos, Mafra, Loures and Vila Franca de Xira), take note: Fábrica das Histórias - Casa Jaime Umbelino is holding the 2nd edition of its biennial illustration competition, under the motto "Resistance".
The aims are noble: to exalt illustration as an art, to bring illustrators and apprentices closer to Torres Vedras' cultural heritage and to stimulate the generation of new artistic creations.
There will be cash prizes and an exhibition with the illustrations that have most delighted the jury's senses, respecting the criteria of relation to the theme, quality of execution and originality.
Access all the information here. (choose 'Selecionar idioma' for an automatic translation).
The nectar of the gods and a symbol of celebration in ancient times, wine embodies a rich tapestry of history, culture, and conviviality. In the Lines of Torres Vedras region, we know that the cultivation of vineyards and the ritualistic aspects of wine consumption have evolved into a global phenomenon, stimulating a refined wine culture that is as diverse as the nuances of our societies.
Vila Franca de Xira Town Hall is offering three days of dedication to this enduring companion and civilising element. As a celebration of wine, the initiative doesn't stop at nectars: because the relationship between wine and gastronomy is a timeless romance, it counts on the participation of the municipality's restaurants to organise showcookings (live cooking) and tastings of regional products.
The Xira Wine Fest takes place from 17 to 19 November. See the programme here (choose 'Selecionar idioma' for an automatic translation).
"Napoleon was able," writes biographer Adam Zamoyski, ‘to sit through a comedy (,,,) and remain impassive while the whole house laughed, and then laugh raucously at odd moments.’ Don't we all know someone like that? And if, as Zamoyski also assures us, Napoleon ‘despised comedy’, it was perhaps because he knew its subversive potential: as an informed and well-read man, he must have come across Aristophanes in some library.
This is to tell you that on the evening of 17 November, if you have a reasonable understanding of the language, you'll have the opportunity to exercise your laughter at the Cine-Teatro de Sobral de Monte Agraço, with a new generation of comedians committed to reach the level of Molière's Tartuffe - the only comedy that, it is said, even the Emperor of the French was able to appreciate. Laugh and the whole world will laugh with you – except, perhaps, Napoleon.
Click here for the details (in Portuguese).
While it's not difficult to pinpoint the end of the Napoleonic political adventure, its beginning can be condensed into two days - the 18th and 19th - of the month of Brumaire in the year VIII on the French republican calendar (the 9th and 10th of November 1799) when, amid fears of a Jacobin resurgence and a restoration of the monarchical regime, the two assemblies - the Council of Elders and the Council of 500 - met in the former royal palace of Saint-Cloud, away from the centre of a Paris in turmoil.
After a series of more or less rocky episodes, inflammatory speeches and demonstrations of martial force, the government of the Directory fell; and Bonaparte, whose popularity was well anchored in successful military campaigns in Italy and Egypt, became First Consul. The revolution, it is often said, ended right there.
It would be more than a decade before Masséna - and, to some extent, Napoleon's star - stood in front of the Lines of Torres Vedras, gazing at a precarious fort on a hilltop.
The patent for the accordion, or its immediate precursor, the handäoline, was registered in Berlin when the Constitution of 1822 was being approved in Portugal. Since then, from the Argentinian tango to the dances of the North Caucasus - not forgetting the cafés and cabarets of Paris - the instrument has appeared in musical contexts as varied as pop, jazz and classical music, having earned a place of honour in what we now call "world music".
As part of the Torres Vedras Festivities, the 20th edition of the Acordeões do Mundo festival runs until the 10th. See the programme here (in Portuguese).
If you're like us, who can't put down a good book until we've finished reading it, you know that (almost) as good as reading is talking and hearing about Literature.
The only good reason to miss the Mafra Literary Festival, 'an event that aims to celebrate Literature in all its forms, with particular emphasis on Portuguese-speaking authors', would be if you couldn't put down the book you're reading. If that's the case, do as we do: put it under your arm and take it with you.
The Mafra Literary Festival is curated by José Fanha and will rock the town until 5 November, 'involving different entities (schools, storytellers, writers, illustrators, among others).' The programme is 'aimed at all ages, with a Book Fair, meetings with authors and storytelling sessions.'
Go on - put down that book for a moment and check out the programme here (click on 'selecionar idioma' for an automatic translation of the page).
On the National Day of the Lines of Torres Vedras we presented – as has been the case since 2021 – the Wellington Honour awards, in recognition of people, entities and institutions that play an important role in the human, economic and cultural development of our region, as well as in the dissemination and promotion of the material and immaterial heritage of the Lines of Torres Vedras.
This year, AIDGLOBAL – Ação e Integração para o Desenvolvimento Global was honoured with the Environment and Sustainability award. In the Culture and Creativity category, the award went to the Grupo de Danças Históricas da Batalha do Vimeiro. The Associação VOA – Inclusão para a Deficiência received the Accessibility and Inclusion award. In the Sports and Movement category, the award went to the Clube Desportivo, Recreativo e Cultural da Calhandriz. Last but not least, Clive Gilbert received the Promotion and Dissemination award.
The Wellington Honour awards are more than a well-deserved recognition for individuals or organisations. By highlighting local players in the wider context of the region and the country, they highlight also the virtues of treading a common path, of which the Lines of Torres Vedras are, at one time, anchor of identity and idea of development.
Congratulations to the winners!
See the photo gallery here.
To those vilafranquenses who may have been alarmed last Friday by the presence of a gallant troop, armed with sabres, pistols and rifles, in front of the Museum of Neo-Realism, we can assure you: the guard was one of honour and their intentions were kind. Nor did the peasants who occupied part of the pavement pose any danger to public order, despite the sticks and pitchforks from which, for historical reasons, they are never separated.
They were there, along with many other friends of the Lines of Torres Vedras, to take part in the celebration of their National Day. The house was packed, as it is every year, and even Junot - who we didn't want to throw out with arms and baggage - was invited to read us the Testament he never wrote. Speeches were made, the Wellington Honour prizes were awarded, and conversation was caught up with a good wine from the region.
Above all - and this is what remains every year, more and more - the past was honoured, and the future of our region was celebrated.
See the photo gallery here.
We commemorate to honour the memory of a past event and the people who lived through it. We celebrate to share that memory with others and turn it into a positive feeling for the community. Today, 20 October, we want to commemorate the Lines of Torres Vedras and celebrate our National Day with you.
Another way to celebrate is by learning. And what better way to learn than by listening to those who have something relevant to say? In the first episode of InvadeCAST, the InvadeMAG podcast that debuts today, Ana Raquel Machado conspires with Raul Almeida, the new head of Tourism for the Centre of Portugal, for a tourist invasion of the Lines of Torres Vedras region.
In a fortnight's time, a very small tree - perhaps a stone pine or a cork oak - will want to know who planted it on a steep hill in the Serra do Socorro. Perhaps an old copper eagle or a royal buzzard will remember seeing, from the heights where the eagles fly, some very lively and colourful children populating the hill with shoots as tall as they are; while groups of hikers, these much larger and with a very determined air, marched to the top of the mountain.
Then the old birds will open their memory chests and show the photos from our gallery to the stone pines, the cork oaks and even a strawberry tree that has infiltrated the hosts.
You've only just got back from the March of the Forts and you're already up for another one? Since we can't sit still either, we've prepared a hike for you, 'Discovering the Lines of Torres Vedras', on the section of the Great Route between Loures and Mafra.
Be at the Cabeço de Montachique Municipal Park, in Loures, by 9am on Saturday, 21st October (we know that you're very good at being guided by the position of the sun and stars, but here are the GPS coordinates in case the weather turns cloudy: 38°54'03.5"N 9°10'53.7"W). The hike will pass the fortifications of Achada, Coutada, Carrascal, Capitão, and Presinheira, in the municipality of Mafra, before returning to the starting point. The level of difficulty is, of course, high and the 16 kilometre route, entirely in rural surroundings, takes approximately 5 hours, not counting the nap.
Register until 18 October with the Divisão de Desporto da Câmara Municipal de Loures, using this online form, this email address or, if you're a more classically inclined person, by calling 211 151 157. The number of registrations is limited. Insurance is included, but don't forget to bring water, suitable footwear and a bite for the road. Happy hiking!
(*Paul Klee)
Among the many brave participants of the Marcha dos Fortes who yesterday, under a heavy sky, were making their way to the top of the Serra do Socorro for a refreshing break, a small group stood out: the bravest of the brave - the little participants of the 1st Marchinha - had the pride of a mission accomplished in their eyes. They don't count kilometres by the dozen, as older hikers do. But the many trees that, with the help of their parents and many equally generous friends, they left planted on a hill in the mountains are an excellent omen for our common future.
And while the participants in the Marcha dos Fortes set off on the second part of their epic journey, those in the Marchinha stayed right there, at the top of the mountain, learning how to operate a balloon telegraph from the Peninsular War era, with a contagious joy and a commitment that would have come in very handy two hundred years ago.
Stay tuned to InvadeBLOG, because very soon we'll have a photo gallery to share.
For those who aren't in the habit of paying attention to classical music in Portugal, the name Darcos is familiar. For those who are paying attention, it's intimate. This is because, since its first concerts in the country - more than two decades ago -, the Darcos Ensemble has been agitating and transforming the Portuguese music scene.
Under the direction of Nuno Côrte-Real and composed of international musicians such as Filipe Quaresma, Paula Carneiro, Reyes Gallardo, Gaël Rassaert, Pedro Wallenstein, and Helder Marques, the Ensemble has shown, in its formative years, remarkable diversification and artistic flexibility. Diversification and flexibility that made the creation of a complementary musical programme, also founded by Côrte-Real, almost inevitable in 2008. Known as Temporada Darcos, it rapidly established itself as one of the most prestigious music programme agents in Portugal.
Temporada Darcos is supported by the Torres Vedras City Council, the Lisbon City Council, DGArtes and various other public and private partners, including RTP - Antena 2, which regularly records and broadcasts some of the Ensemble's and Temporada Darcos' concerts live.
Check out the programme in PDF format (in Portuguese). And if the name Darcos was only familiar to you, take the first step towards making it intimate.
More information here.
Just as there is a before and an after the French Invasions of Portugal, there is a before and an after the National Day of the Lines of Torres Vedras, which since 2019 has been celebrated on 20 October, the day it was elevated to National Monument.
The before started yesterday - on the 11th. The after runs until the 29th. In these almost three weeks of activities, we will remember the capacity for resistance and the will to independence of an entire people. Before and after are not rhetorical figures: if it's memory that feeds us, it's in the future that we have our eyes on.
This is a tribute from the community to its greatest. Come and celebrate them with us!
See the programme (in Portuguese).
‘Leonardo da Vinci saw trees, towns, battles and a lot of other things in the stains he found on old walls. Shakespeare saw whales and camels in the clouds. Simple Simon looks at the clouds and just sees clouds. The stains on old walls simply look like stains to him. On old walls.’
(Bruno Munari, ‘Design as Art,’ 1966)
You know those days when, feeling a debilitating rumbling in your stomach, you say to yourself:
'Now I could do with some matured ruddy and some Ovos Rotos General Carrera'.
Or:
'What would really whet my appetite would be some Mussels Wellington'.
Or even, in a more military tone:
I'm ready for a Cockerel Napoleon Bonaparte.
We know what that's like. And because we're also not capable of going too long without a bite to eat, from the 13th to the 22nd of October we're cooking the Eating with the Generals initiative, with ingredients, sorry, participating restaurants throughout the Lines of Torres Vedras region.
Don't fight those battles on an empty stomach: download the programme in PDF (in Portuguese, to give you the chance to exercise those fancy AI translators) and set off to discover our epoch menus. Eat the food of the generals - without being court-marshalled for it.
Time can be defined negatively, as in "what we don't have". Or in more empathetic terms: "what we share".
Because we can't be without celebrating something, we have a very short film to share with you, today that InvadeMAG is one month old. We promise not to waste your time.
.
