Collecting Moments

День 107. Мариалва & Меда & Лонгройва “Marialva was once called Malva. At first, the traveler though this must be the shortened form of a woman’s name, Maria Alva. Even now, he cannot bring himself to accept that it was so named by a king of Leon, Fernando Magno. Clearly His Majesty did not come here from Leon to make sure that the name Malva suited this mountain. He must have heard from some friar or other who passed this way and having seen lots of malvas (mallows) decided they were characteristic of the region, without noticing, as a narrow-minded monk, that in a house that today stands in ruins, lived the most beautiful girl of these parts, who was called Maria Alva – or so the traveler argues, to justify and defend his thesis. He must be forgiven this kind of flight of fancy, because woe betide any traveler who does not have them: all he will see are silent stones and indifferent landscapes.” (© “Journey to Portugal” J. Saramago)

XXI Encontro Internacional de Gigantones e Cabeçudos – Ежегодный парад гигантов и «больших голов» в Браге . Некогда христианские процессии с фигурами святых вернулись к своему карнавальному источнику - стали снова похожи на языческие празднества. Время вспять! Carried giants can be traced back to 18th century Portugal. Originally, Giants appeared in Western Europe to add color and educational value to communal and religious processions. From the 15th century onward, these giant figures were used to illustrate scenes from the bible, tales from the Golden Legend, and epic poems. With time, the Giants changed in meaning and came to represent regions, cities, and neighborhoods. Adapted to ideas of different eras, Giants moved away from processions to become increasingly profane figures used in carnivals, village fetes, and religious festivals, too. (© What is Giant? ) Large figures were carried in annual religious processions to mark occasions such as the day of the town's patron saint...

День 104. Брага Брага считается барочной столицей Португалии. Однако, страннице показалось гораздо интереснее богатейшее кельто-римское наследие города. Чего стоит один только «фонтан идола», посвященный кельтскому богу Tongoenabiago с типично римскими барельефами. “The fountain seems prehistoric although the sculptures date from later, and was dedicated to a god with a Polynesian-sounding name: Tongoenabiago. These are the teachings the traveler carefully retains. What moves him is that there was evidently a time when all the land was uncultivated, the water tumbled among the stones, and whoever came to collect it gave thanks to the god Tongo for the bounties of the siren. Nowadays we may well have cause to question the purity or otherwise of the water, but the statues continue offering their timeworn faces for as long as they are no yet utterly destroyed.” (© “Journey to Portugal” J. Saramago) The so-called "Fonte do Ídolo" in Braga, is a monument sculpted from a big granit...

Удивительная романская часовня XIII века Capela da Granjinha с бестиарием на фасаде. Даже чертик присутствует. Церковь была построена на месте древнеримского храма, находившегося на главной дороге между городами Bracara Augusta (современная Braga) и Aquae Flaviae - португальский Chaves, который сегодня выглядит вот так: День 103. Ламего & Шавеш Рядом с Ламего находится вестготская капелла VII века Sao Pedro de Balsemao с беременной мадонной (Nossa Senhora do Ó) – древнейшая церковная постройка во всей Португалии. Старая водяная мельница по дороге… Ну, и мадонна, хранящая магазин женского нижнего белья, - невозможно пройти мимо :)

Языческое святилище Панояш Кельты, римляне, кровавые обряды инициации, египетский бог Серапис, мистика… “To the Gods and Goddesses of this sanctuary. The victims to be sacrificed are to be killed in this place. The entrails are to be burnt in the square cavities in front. The blood is to be poured here into the small cavities. In the name of Gaius C. Calpurnius Rufinus, member of the senatorial order." “G. C. Calpurinius Rufinus consecrated within the temple (the temple intended to be the sanctuary), an aedes, a sanctuary, dedicated to the Severe Gods.” “To the Gods and Goddesses and all the divinities of the Lapitae, Gaius C. Calpurnius Rufinus, member of the senatorial order, consecrated forever with this sanctuary a cavity, in which the victims shall be burnt according to the rite.” “To Serapis Most High, together with Destiny and the Mysteries, G. C. Calpurnius Rufinus, the most enlightened.”“To the gods, G. C. Calpurnius Rufinus, the most enlightened, with this (temple) also...

Еще один одноарочный римский мост по дороге в Галисии… День 97. Сальватерра де Миньо & Монсао Deu – la – deu: (с португальского) «Ей дал Бог» быть сильной, независимой и умной женщиной. Крепость Монсао до сих пор хранит легенду о Deuladue Martins, которая в 1368 году спасла город от испанцев. “Moncao is home and witness to the tale endlessly recounted to the children of a generation to which the traveler himself belonged, namely that of Deuladue Martins. She was a resourceful woman who, when the town was besieged and lacking basic supplies, sent the citizens to collect and cook the very last of the flour into little sweet-smelling balls which she then tossed over the ramparts with an air of grand munificence, thus – by disseminating a conviction as to the futility of continuing the siege – routing the troops of Henry II of Castile in their attempt to seize the fortress. This occurred in 1368, a period of considerable political machinations, and a time of easy belief in artificial ...

День 96. Ла Гуардия Castro de Santa Tegra (Santa Tecla) – еще одно кельтское поселение железного века, теперь уже на территории Галисии. Считается, что название Галисия произошло от греческого Kallaikoi (лат. Gallaeci или Callaeci), что означает «живущие между камней». Именно так греко-римский историк Страбон (Strabo) называет в своей «Географии» кельтские племена, населявшие эту часть Иберийского полуострова. В древности территорию современной Галисии называли «finis terrae» (край света).