On the 20th of October 2020 took place, in the auditorium of the Pastoral Centre of Torres Vedras and organized by the Historical Route of the Lines of Torres, the Commemorative Ceremony of the National Day of the Lines of Torres Vedras.
After the showing of the teaser of a film currently being developed to promote the tourist upturn in the Lines of Torres, the Mayor of Torres Vedras opened the ceremony, underlining the enormous effort of the Portuguese population in the resistance against the third French invasion, and the deep significance of this National Day. Carlos Bernardes held that the 20th of October ought to be celebrated in memory of all those who fought to preserve the independence of Portugal, and pointed out the potential that the Lines of Torres offers as a tourist product in the context of military tourism, in both a national and international context.
Conducted by Ana Raquel Machado, the ceremony continued with the exhibition of the micro-films that competed for the INVADE! Contest, with the president of the jury, Luís de Matos, announcing the winning micro-film, by César Santos.
The closure was in charge of the president of the Historical Route of the Lines of Torres, José Alberto Quintino, who recalled the importance of these celebrations and made an analogy with the ‘invasion’ that Portugal and the whole world are experiencing with the current pandemic, having considered that, now as in the past, all the courage and resilience of the Portuguese people is needed. The president of the RHLT also left an invitation to those present to take part in the cultural offers of the various municipalities under the theme of the National Day of the Lines of Torres, in particular in the À Mesa dos Generais initiative, a gastronomic show involving numerous restaurants in Arruda dos Vinhos, Loures, Mafra, Sobral de Monte Agraço, Torres Vedras and Vila Franca de Xira, because the times also call for an effort to support the economy and culture.
The debut of the concert Linhas, composed by Luís Soldado, directed by conductor Rui Pinheiro and conceived by AREPO - Association of Opera and Contemporary Arts, closed the ceremony. The concert was performed by young musicians from associations, conservatories, and academies in the municipalities that integrate the territory of the Lines of Torres: Academia de Música e Artes da Sapataria, AHBV Fanhões, Banda de Música da Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Arruda dos Vinhos, Conservatório Euterpe Alhandrense, Escola de Música Luís António Maldonado Rodrigues, and Filarmónica Cultural da Ericeira. According to Luís Soldado, who intervened at the ceremony, at the genesis of the music were silent films and photographs depicting scenes from the life of the Lines of Torres region in the mid-1930s. Projected during the concert, the images offered a peculiar journey through the history of the people and places of the region.
