Obidos Festival

Every summer, the medieval Portuguese town of Obidos resurrects the spectacle of its past

Costume Drama

Every summer, the medieval Portuguese town of Obidos resurrects the spectacle of its past

WORDS AND PHOTOS BY PAUL ROUSE

10-20 July
Medieval Festival, Obidos, Lisbon
www.cm-obidos.pt

Obidos, less than an hour north of Lisbon, might be one of Portugal's best-preserved medieval towns, but it's no museum piece. Indeed, it's especially lively during the two weeks in July when it hosts its annual medieval fair. The event takes over the entire town with parades, music, dancing, jugglers, jousting, fire-eaters, fortune tellers, street theatre and live cooking. Everybody, from stall holders to entertainers and local residents dress for the part, with visitors encouraged to follow suit. The result is a kaleidoscopic medieval fashion show with a cast of characters as diverse as you would expect to find in any genuine Middle Ages scene: knights and nobles, peasants and paupers, tarot readers and tinkers, wives and wenches.

"It's been fabulous for the town," says English expat Robert Thomas, suitably kitted out in a jester's costume outside his arts and crafts shop Loja dos Arcos, in the main street. "It's a unique and authentic experience with, thankfully, none of the tackiness you might expect if it was done in the UK."

This is central to the charm of Obidos. With no modern buildings and no cars allowed, it has retained its identity without turning itself into a theme park, and the fair complements the town perfectly, rather than seeming like a modern-day tourist gimmick. In fact, there's a huge amount of effort from everyone involved to bring the atmosphere of the past to life.

The town tries to recreate life as it might have been back in the days when Obidos first rose to prominence. Market traders and street vendors bawl out their wares, blacksmiths sweat over white-hot anvils and jesters and minstrels perform as the air is filled with the delicious aromas of herbs and spices, fresh bread, pigs roasting on spits and sausages sizzling on hot coals.

There's also more than a passing nod to some of the harsher realities of medieval life; beggars, lepers and even ladies of easy virtue feature along the cobbled streets. Actors they may be, but with a method that Robert de Niro would find admirable.

It's also a huge family event. One of the highlights is the daily parade from the castle along the main street, led by knights on horseback followed by priests, princesses, troubadours, drummers, pipe players, dancing girls and a dazzling flock of hawks and owls. Visitors jostle for the best positions at street level, but for a bird's eye view of your own, grab a seat at one of the first-floor terrace cafés. The perfect spot to feast your eyes and your senses.