The Medieval Market of Óbidos
The Óbidos Medieval Market is a historical entertainment event that takes advantage of the surroundings of Óbidos Castle to transport visitors back to medieval times, on a sensory journey full of unique experiences and lots of entertainment.
A Portuguese historical and social national Event.
The Medieval Market of Óbidos, held since 2002, is a historical entertainment event that takes advantage of the surroundings of Óbidos Castle to transport visitors back to medieval times, on a sensory journey full of unique experiences and lots of entertainment.
The Medieval Market of Óbidos takes place every year at Óbidos Castle, in July, and receives tens of thousands of visitors. Óbidos is a historical county that is 85 km far from Lisbon, the Portuguese capital. During the festivities there is a lot of animation, gastronomy and, above all, the feeling that each of the visitors had to make a real trip to the past.
In addition to investing in a theme of history in a touristic town like Óbidos, it is about being able to bring people from the villages of this county and give them the opportunity to make their own revenues for their activities.
It is an event with its own characteristics that ensures that all visitors "leave the market grounds in a good mood".
The Óbidos Medieval Market provides new experiences that have their origin in the Middle Age.
Each year, the Óbidos Medieval Market reinvents itself, seeking to provide new experiences for visitors, while maintaining the event most emblematic themed areas, such as: period settings; medieval evenings, suppers and banquets; music, theatre and itinerant entertainment shows; masters and crafts; jousts and tournaments; games related to the period; gastronomy; merchants and craftsmen and period costumes.
The gastronomy sector of this medieval fair, where many people are always concentrated, is always the most difficult to prepare: the communities, faced with the difficulties of recreating a different time, the medieval time, end up doing very well, not only in the dishes they cook and serve, but in the way they dress and the decorate their stalls.
For the future, this "time travel" promises to continue. The goal is to become one of the most interesting events in the West, because the Medieval Market is an initiative that brought together many people in Óbidos.
The thousands of people who visit the market every year can see and go back in time where the gastronomy and activities carried out there date back to the Middle Ages.
What the local experts say
Interview's main points
Interviewer – What makes you visit ´Óbidos Medieval Market?
Catarina Nunes - I know that every year this medieval market, which has a national profile, takes place in Óbidos and that it is a historical event, which concerns Portugal and Portuguese traditions. That's why I think it's very important to visit Óbidos at this time, because you learn a lot about the history of Portugal and its customs in the Middle Ages. It´s a different learning, it´s immersive learning, it´s fantastic!
Interviewer – What kind of activities do you find most interesting at this market?
Catarina Nunes - Apart from the costumes we wear to recreate the Middle Ages, which I think are simply fabulous, the royal banquet, the whole atmosphere, the stalls with medieval products, the tournaments, the theatre plays, everything is really very special.
I leave this place full of desire to come back next year!
Interviewer – Where did the idea of creating the medieval market in Óbidos come from?
Ricardo Duque – The medieval market in Óbidos is in fact one of the first to be created in Portugal. Our aim is to show visitors not only a little of the history of our municipality, but also of our country. The Castle of Óbidos is well known, it is na icon and the jewel in the crown of our municipality, so it's the ideal setting for na event that combines the historical recreation component with the community involvement component. The medieval market in óbidos always involves 10 per cent of our residents. through the local associations that are all represented here.
Interviewer – How is this medieval market an important tradition not only in this region but also in the country?
Ricardo Duque - More and more there is an adaptation to what the tourist motifs are .... Óbidos began with a medieval market for the obvious reasons of the town's identity, but the aim is to assert itself as a national heritage site, to offer experiences ....and thatis what tourists are looking for.
Interviewer – Knowing that the medieval market is an event... what kind of historical and traditions moments are portrayed here, what is it all about?
Ricardo Duque - Every year the medieval market is centred on a historical period, within the medieval period, obviously, but this year we're celebrating the marriage of King Dinis and Queen Santa Isabel by offering the town of Óbidos as a dowry to the queen, and from then on that Óbidos has been known as the town of the Queens, so in successive dynasties. So, given this historical context,
It will begin with an inaugural procession to welcome the King Dinis and the Queen Santa Isabel and then they will celebrate their wedding through gastronomy, feasting, music and dance groups and all those who dance groups and all those who get involved come and acclaim their majesties.
In this event we see portrayed everything that would have been lived in the Middle Ages. We have the Queen's house, we also have the civil and military encampment and the tournaments that are an ex libris of our event, and then we have a series of crafts typical of the that people can experience and witness.
