Last weekend was a very exciting one here in Lagos, as it was the Festival dos Descobrimentos – the Discoveries Festival. It was one of the main events in year long programme which is celebrating the 450th anniversary of Lagos becoming a city.
The festival celebrated the time of King Dom Sebastião. He was a very young King of Portugal who succeeded to the throne at the age of three. He was said to have been fearless, and have great physical strength.
He raised Lagos to ´city´ status in 1573, and later set sail from here in 1578. He is thought to have almost certainly been killed in battle in a historic defeat by the Moors at Alcácer Quibir in Morocco.
When several soldiers returned to Portugal; many Portuguese believed that King Sebastião had survived the battle, and would return to claim his throne. Many myths and legends about the king began, and he came to be known as O Encoberto (the hidden one), as people thought he may return on a foggy morning to save Portugal.
The Festival marks the time of King Sebastião, and his visit to the then village of Lagos. The last one took place in 2019, so the celebrations were even bigger than normal.
As well as street parades with everyone dressed in traditional outfits, there were live shows; historical re-enactments, and many exhibitions. It was a fantastic atmosphere in the city, and they put on a great show.
Any excuse to party for the Portuguese, but for Lagos it was a very special weekend, and many more celebrations are planned throughout the year.
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