Vila Real SETECENTISTA de Santo António

On May 12, 13 and 14, 2023, Vila Real de Santo António will host the first edition of the “Vila Real de Santo António Setecentista” History Festival.

New anchor event integrates historical recreations, parades, shows and entertainment
With free admission, it will be three days in a unique environment and setting
On the 12th, 13th and 14th of May, all roads will lead to VRSA, check the program here.
This is a new anchor event, promoted by the VRSA Town Hall, which intends to portray the daily life of the village, in the XVIII century, and to highlight its historical, cultural and social importance.

The initiative will take place on the weekend of the 12th, 13th (municipal holiday) and 14th of May 2023 and is intended to mark the 247th anniversary of the foundation of Vila Real de Santo António. It also opens the countdown for the celebrations of its two and a half centuries of history.

From the recreations, to the parades, shows and entertainment, and ending with the markets and banquets, there will be no shortage of reasons to visit the town and get to know all the period characters.

With free admission, it will be three days in a unique environment and setting, made up of the urban layout of the historic area and the imposing Marquês de Pombal Square.

During all the days of the event there will be no shortage of entertainment, theatrical performances that portray episodes of the history of Vila Real de Santo António, in transversality with the History of Portugal, recreations, markets, gastronomy and shows with lots of light and color spread over several stages.

Historic parades

The parades through the streets of the Historic Center will be one of the highlights of the event, reviving a tradition already rooted in the city that attracts hundreds of people.

Throughout the weekend there will also be circus-theater performances, with various scenic environments, portraying historical episodes or scenes from everyday life.

Examples of this are the staging of the pirate landing and the trial of the saltimbancos, the dramatization of an auto de fé and a slave auction, or the recreation of the Marquis’ birthday.

Interactive shows

During the festival, fire juggling will be performed, and there will be, permanently, interactive shows with the public (games, stage fighting, artistic fencing, among others). For those who want to dive deep into history, there will also be the possibility of renting a period costume and live even more intensely this experience.

In the market, various entertainment activities will take place permanently, such as music and dance, baroque music concerts, singing, juggling and acrobatics, dexterity games, falconry, and weapons training, among other attractions. All this will be rounded off with a range of entertainment for the younger ones.

Fireworks

Besides an intense program of entertainment, the last day of the festival, on May 14, closes with a golden key: a grand final show at Avenida da República, in front of the Guadiana River, where there will be music, dance and magnificent fireworks.

Masked Ball

A majestic masked ball, in homage to D. José I, in the best Venetian carnival style, with etiquette and dance classes of the time, will take place on the 12th of May, at 21h00, in the Centro Cultural António Aleixo, in VRSA.

Banquet

On Saturday the 13th of May, one of the highlights of the evening will be the banquet, also at the Centro Cultural António Aleixo. Here, diners will have the opportunity to enjoy the refinement and magic of a feast in honor of D. José I. The protocols, etiquette, the gastronomy of the time, and varied shows are part of the menu.

With the exception of the masked ball and the banquet, tickets for which are on sale at the Centro Cultural António Aleixo and at www.bol.pt, all events have free admission.