Posted by Don Amaro
Monte Festival
One of the most popular religious (folk) festivals of Madeira will take place … the Monte Festival -A Nossa Senhora do Monte (Our Lady of the Mount).
With this festival Funchal commemorates the deliverance of the people from hunger and plague. Celebrations consists of a city fair which lasts through the night, with braziers and all sorts of wonderful Madeirense delicacies to feed the both inhabitants and tourists. There is no need to get up early the next day as it is a national holiday. People head to church to celebrate Mass, which is followed by a procession from the church in which the devout pilgrims of the Senhora do Monte thank their saint for all the blessings they have received over the year.
The Church of Our Lady of the Mount, patron saint of Madeira, is also very popular with pilgrims who come here to pray or fulfill vows by the tomb of Emperor Karl I of Austria. Karl I died in 1922 at Quinta do Monte, now called Quinta Jardins do Imperador or Quinta of the Emperor´s Gardens. It is a lively celebration lasting two days and transforms the romantic, picturesque parish of Monte into one of the busiest places in Madeira, full of food and drink stalls and plenty of music. (source: Turismo da Madeira)
Posted by Don Amaro on Madeira Blog on 11 August 2008.
Madeira today Festa da Senhora do Monte: the great August pilgrimage Madeira’s biggest religious festival on 14 and 15 August: the pilgrimage up the steps to the Monte church, the procession, the arraial and how to visit.