history
The Festas em Honra de S. Julião e Nossa Senhora das Neves are celebrated in Monte do Trigo, in the municipality of Portel, at the beginning of September. It is a festival of religious origin, dedicated to its patron saints, whose tradition dates back to the 13th century, making it one of the oldest celebrations in this Alentejo land.
Throughout the days of festivities, the religious and popular dimensions come together: there is a procession, but also music and bull releases, in a programme that blends devotion to the saints with the gathering of the whole community. The local church, rebuilt in the 20th century, remains the centre of these festivities.
The devotion to Nossa Senhora das Neves has, in the tradition of these commemorations, its own moment on 5th August, the date on which its main celebration is held, with pilgrimages that reinforce the bond between the people of Monte do Trigo and their patron saints.
about the place
In the heart of the Alentejo, among golden wheat fields and the warm silence of the plain, Monte do Trigo is a place that reveals itself slowly, at the pace of those who live without hurry. Its people are welcoming and proud of the traditions inherited from their grandparents, keeping alive a history that stretches back to the 13th century. Here, devotion to São Julião and Nossa Senhora das Neves is intertwined with the joy of being together, the music and dances that give the community its soul. At the table, the açorda alentejana shines, humble and generous like those who prepare it. It is at the Estaleiro da Junta de Monte do Trigo that the festival brings the whole parish together, in a gathering that strengthens the bonds between neighbours.
