Culatra Island Festival recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage
The inclusion in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of this festival was proposed in 2019 by the Association of Residents of Ilha da Culatra, one of the housing centers of the barrier islands of Ria Formosa, started a period of public consultation of 30 days on May 5th and the process now culminates with its inventory.
On May 5th, the Diário da República had published the announcement that started a period of 30 days for the presentation of challenges or contributions to the process, then opening an additional period of 120 days for the DGPC to decide on the request.
The decision now published classifies the most representative festival of the fishing community of Culatra, one of the barrier islands of the Ria Formosa, belonging to the municipality and district of Faro, but linked, by tradition and geographical proximity, to Olhão.
The feast in honor of Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes has a procession on the first Sunday of each August, which begins with the removal of the image of the patron saint of the fishing community of Culatra from the local chapel to be taken aboard a fishing vessel, through the Ria Formosa, to Olhão.
At the Olhão pier, the maritime procession collects the image of Nossa Senhora do Rosário, the city’s patron saint, and begins its return to Culatra, where there is then a procession through the streets of the fishing center and a mass.
