From Bucelas to Mafra, from Vila Franca to Sobral, from Arruda to Torres Vedras, busy bakers, early morning farmers and the small hours fishermen claim to have heard muted salvoes coming from the Lines' forts. Dogs and cats spent all night and day restless at what sounded like the muffled rumbling of invisible drums. One sleep-deprived poet even swears he saw fireworks launched from a redoubt into the dawn skies.
It was no surprise to us: five years ago today the Lines of Torres Vedras were classified as a National Monument. The only reason for astonishment was the realisation of how long and fruitful a path we have travelled together in such a short space of time.
Fighting a war on their own territory and suffering its after-effects for almost half a century, perhaps the Portuguese didn't feel the memorialist thirst of the British and French - who cared about justifying their actions and recording their share of military glory for posterity - or the epistolary needs that those who are far from their land and their loved ones are prone to. Who would want to write about something they so desperately wanted to forget?
And in the absence of a Portuguese Goya to perpetuate on canvas the indignities of a war that martyred above all the men, women and children of the common people, decimating a substantial part of the population and reducing an even larger one to destitution and hunger, communal memory took it upon itself to preserve the most striking events in the relationship between the invaders and the local population.
These popular narratives, based on true facts and corroborated by chroniclers, quickly entered the collective imagination: they celebrate their heroes and chastise their villains, mourn the ignominies suffered and exalt the glories achieved, even when these are only of courage, resilience and humanity.
One of these narratives - Memory of the Arrifana Massacre - will be recreated in this locality of Santa Maria da Feira, from 12 to 17 April, in an event "with six days of programming and various activities for all audiences, with free admission".
For information and registration, please contact Santa Maria da Feira City Council on (+351) 256 370 800, or by e-mail at santamariadafeira@cm-feira.pt.
In the vast memorialist literature that particularly the British and French have left us chronicling the Peninsular War, women, subordinated to the account of brilliant tactics, glorious deeds, and epic confrontations, occupy - with honourable exceptions - footnotes. But these are footnotes that shout "Read me". Along with children, women have been and continue to be, according to the UN, the biggest victims of armed conflicts and the ones whose suffering is most enduring and the most silenced.
We couldn't have been happier when we learnt that this year's edition of the Batalha do Vimeiro 1808 event is dedicated to Women in the Napoleonic Era. According to the programme, stories related to the theme "will be covered in an event that will take place in the area adjacent to the Vimeiro Battle Interpretation Centre, in a space illustrated in 19th century style."
"The initiative is organised by the Municipality of Lourinhã, in partnership with the Junta de Freguesia do Vimeiro (Vimeiro Parish Council), the Associação para a Memória da Batalha do Vimeiro (Association for the Memory of the Battle of Vimeiro) and the Associação Napoleónica Portuguesa (Portuguese Napoleonic Association) and features a wide range of themed activities, including theatre shows, performances, music and street entertainment, workshops, taverns, displays of gastronomic products and craftwork, among other activities that recreate the cultural and social practices of the time."
"The most eagerly awaited moments are the Historical Reenactments of the Battle of Vimeiro, with the presence of national and foreign reenactors who belong to nations that were once at war, but today have come together under the banner of peace and interculturality, as well as the 19th century dance organised by the Historical Dance Group of the Battle of Vimeiro."
The Battle of Vimeiro 1808 will take place on 19, 20 and 21 July. See you there?
In 1811, the difficulties of subsistence began: the marauders had to go to the food stores and soon had to travel more than 40 leagues to find anything again; the advancing troops ate even their donkeys. Finally, the supply difficulties became so great that the commanders of the detachments were ordered to take the first peasant they came across and make the most terrible threats to him so that he would reveal the hiding places in the neighbouring villages. This method was successful, and we were able to replenish ourselves a little: each company managed to get a month's worth of food.
(Marcellin Marbot, French army officer)
When people ask us if our forts have ever been taken, we can't answer "Never! Never! Never!": every year, in spring, the forts of the Lines are occupied by many millions of fragile soldiers, each proudly wearing the colours of their regiment. They are the peaceful invaders of the wildflower army. *
If you're keen to find out more about these treasures hidden in plain sight, you're in luck: Sobral de Monte Agraço invites you to visit the wildflowers of the Alqueidão Fort with your family and friends, where you can learn to identify the species and witness the importance of preserving these fragile natural ecosystems.
The visit will take place on 16 March at the Alqueidão Fort, between 10:30 and 12:30. Bookings can be made by calling (+351) 261 940 325 or emailing doua@cm-sobral.pt.
In an era of unstoppable energy transition and increased care for physical fitness, when more and more bikes and scooters are happily gliding through the streets and hikes and runs take place every weekend, it's perhaps easy to lose sight of those who were already barely visible. "Accessibility" is a key word in tourism, but as Ana Garcia - for whom "accessibility begins when I recognise that we are all different" - explains, good intentions are not enough. The president of Accessible Portugal argues that enabling tourist facilities for accessible tourism, far from being a problem, could well be a solution and an attraction for a market as eager for new experiences as any other.
Because they're not the kind of people who do things by halves, our digital gnomes labour tirelessly to maintain and update InvadeMAG. As the days and nights go by in perpetual motion, they perfect what has been done and add new qualities to it. If at night we dream up an archive and navigation system for InvadeBLOG (which already has a considerable number of publications), in the wee hours of the morning it's there. If we want our films and documentaries to have their own little corner on the portal, in the blink of an eye InvadeMOV - "because we can't take our eyes off the screen" - is done. And right on time, because we're working on two new documentaries for you.
Then there are those minute tasks for which Aristotle wouldn't deign to create a category, but which add so much to the tidiness of a house. The downloads page, which gives access to PDF versions of our printed publications, has now joined the links to Invade magazine in the illustrious heights of the top navigation bar. And InvadeMOV has taken its place in the second menu, with the rest of the portal's functionalities: the Galleries, InvadeCAST (which, by the way, will have a new edition in a few days) and InvadeBLOG.
These heights of Vila Franca, which we called the Lisbon positions because they defended the entrance to the capital, had been fortified in advance by the enemy: they were entrenched, with palisades in various places and equipped with cannons of all calibres. After wise reconnaissance, they were considered truly impregnable. They might have been attacked had it not been for the expensive lesson the army had learnt at Bussaco.
(Pierre-François Guingret, officer of the French army)
On Saturday 24th, children aged between five and ten can hear Maria na Lua tell 'O Vendedor de Felicidade', by Davide Cali (published by Nuvem de Letras and with illustrations by Marco Somá), at the Sobral de Monte Agraço Municipal Library. The session starts at 15:30 and lasts approximately one hour; its effects will last a lifetime.
Registration is free but limited. Find out more by calling 261 940 090 or emailing bibliotecaservicos@cm-sobral.pt.
2500 years ago, Phidippides was fighting the Persians on the field of Marathon when he realised that a ship of the invaders was heading towards Athens. The soldier feared that the enemy's intention was to deceive the Greeks in the city and, by turning the certain Persian defeat at Marathon into a narrative of victory, get them to surrender without a fight.
Phidippides threw off his weapons, and even his clothes, and ran the 40 or so kilometres between the camp at Marathon and Athens, managing to reach the acropolis before the Persian ship. To his anxious countrymen, he said only "We won!" - and collapsed dead of exhaustion. And while the story of Phidippides has changed throughout antiquity, from Herodotus to Lucian, the original spirit of his race as a sacrifice in favour of the community has been preserved.
200 years ago, more than 80 kilometres of fortifications and redoubts were designed and built to stop another invasion by a great power. To remember and celebrate all those who contributed to the Lines of Defence of Lisbon, popularly known as the Lines of Torres Vedras - from the military who thought them up to the engineers who designed them and the people who built them -, what better way than a marathon?
The Linhas de Torres Running Challenge is a series of running events, mostly on trails and with some road routes, which take place in the areas where the Lines of Torres Vedras were built two centuries ago and which are now part of the municipalities of Arruda dos Vinhos, Loures, Mafra, Sobral de Monte Agraço, Torres Vedras and Vila Franca de Xira.
If you think of yourself as a Phidippides, the 42-kilometre marathon awaits you, but three other events - the 10K Trail, the 6K Walk and, for the youngest, the 2K Kids Race - guarantee a brilliant time and lots of fun for everyone who wants to join in. The Associação dos Deficientes das Forças Armadas is the event's beneficiary organisation.
For more information, click here.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that anybody who is somebody in tourism in Portugal is either on holiday or at the BTL, the Lisbon Tourism Exchange; because we can't say no to a little getaway to FIL, the Lisbon International Fair, we don't miss an edition.
This year, as part of Turismo Centro de Portugal, the Historic Route of the Lines of Torres Vedras awaits you at stand 1A03 in pavilion 1 - National Destinations.
.Visit the official BTL website here.
I used to be much amused at seeing our naval officers come up from Lisbon riding on mules, with huge ships' spy-glasses, like six-pounders, strapped across the backs of their saddles. Their first question invariably was, "Who is that fellow there," (pointing to the enemy's sentry, close to us,) and, on being told that he was a Frenchman, "Then why the devil don't you shoot him!"
(John Kinkaid, Adventures in the Rifle Brigade)
Grab your smartphone and get ready to join the armies of the Peninsular War: a new app, Napoleonic Itineraries, is available for Android and iOS platforms, ready to transport you to the stages of the events of the 1st and 3rd French Invasions of Portugal. And because History and Culture are best enjoyed when accompanied by a good dose of entertainment, a sophisticated Virtual Reality game allows you to visit the sites and impersonate the protagonists of the Peninsular War, participating directly in the events and competing with players from all over the world.
But the news doesn't end there. Virtual Reality equipment is now available at the Lines of Torres Vedras Interpretation Centres, allowing you to 'immerse' yourself in the sites and events of the Peninsular War - the fact that these took place over two hundred years ago is not a problem, but an excellent opportunity.
This equipment and the app are part of a wide network of VR experiences promoted by Turismo de Portugal as part of the Napoleonic Itineraries project, integrated into the 'Valorizar Interior' programme. They offer a new way of learning about and appreciating historical narratives and can be experienced, in addition to the Lines of Torres Vedras, in Almeida, Bombarral, Elvas, Mealhada, Mortágua and Penacova.
Click here for more information, download the apps and start your epic life in the armies of the peninsula.
What happens when a pastor with very strict principles discovers that her son's sexual orientation doesn't conform to the dictates she prescribes? Laughter ensues, at least on stage, says director Celso Cleto, from Teatro Dramax Oeiras, about the reactions to the satire of manners starring Sofia Alves and featuring Diogo Lopes and Filipe Matos.
On a national tour, John Borg's play will be visiting Sobral de Monte Agraço on 22 March to mark World Theatre Day. See the details here.
Much discussion, however, and many difficulties arose, as to the construction which each party desired to put upon those articles in the convention of Cintra, which had reference to the private baggage of the army. The Portuguese were naturally anxious that the men who had plundered their churches, museums, and even their dwellings, should not be permitted to carry off that plunder under the head of private property; whilst the French protested against any search being made, or any inquiries instituted into the extent of their baggage. It was no easy matter for the British General to steer a proper course under such circumstances, keeping, as he desired, a strict regard to the sacredness of his own promises. On the one hand, he felt that whatever might be the words of the treaty, its spirit was not such as to sanction the numerous acts of peculation and robbery of which the French might have been guilty; and he stated this with great distinctness to Marshal Junot. On the other hand, he saw that in many cases of alleged plunder, it would be extremely difficult to identify the property said to have been stolen. Thus embarrassed, he took the only judicious step which it was in his power to take. A committee of inquiry was appointed, before which all claims should be brought; and the quantity of goods restored by its decisions to the rightful owners was immense.
(Charles William Vane, 'Story of the Peninsular War')
What Napoleonic-era commander wouldn't want to be able to soar over the battlefield like an eagle, watch the manoeuvring of his armies, see how the enemy positions its forces and act accordingly? He couldn't, but you can.
From 3 February to 5 April, enter a world where the grandeur of the Napoleonic battles comes to life in miniature. The Invasões ('Invasions') modelling exhibition at the CIBV - Centro de Interpretação da Batalha do Vimeiro, offers a unique and alternative way of approaching the Napoleonic period.
Conceived by the Modelstep group, this exhibition, free to enter, features dioramas and detailed models that capture - down to the smallest detail - the essence of a crucial era in European history.
João Tarrafa, playwright, actor and director, brings A Conta que Deus Fez ('The Way God Planned It') to the stage next Friday at the Morgado Cultural Centre:
In the aftermath of the French Invasions in Portugal, a man reflects on what is left of the people of this country after being razed to the ground both by Napoleon Bonaparte's troops and by the "Scorched Earth Policy", the very strategy that led us to victory. Memories fused with humour and bitterness that place the Portuguese people as the protagonists of this war.
You don't have to do much maths to attend: tickets cost €4 and are on sale at
https://viver.arrudadosvinhos.com.pt.
Why 'Napoleonic Itineraries' and not just 'French Invasions'? Is Portugal a military tourism destination par excellence, or is military tourism one of the excellences of tourism in Portugal? Have technology and interactivity become indispensable to a complete tourist experience? In this second episode of InvadeCAST, Ana Raquel Machado talks to Teresa Ferreira, director of Turismo de Portugal's Department for Boosting Supply and Resources, who has long been pondering these and other questions.