Viana do Castelo, Portugal, Aug. 12, 2024 (Lusa)- In Viana do Castelo, in Portugal's far north, a thousand women from the country and 10 others are to take part in Friday's traditional Mordomia Parade - the largest number ever in the history of the religious festivities of which it forms a part, organisers announced on Monday.
In a statement sent to the media, VianaFestas, which oversees the Nossa Senhora da Agonia pilgrimage, said that of the 1,000 'mordomas' (literally stewards) 760 come from the municipality of Viana do Castelo and the rest from various cities in Portugal, France, the US, Switzerland, Andorra, Luxembourg, Mexico, Brazil, Canada and the Netherlands. The youngest participant this year will be 14 and the oldest 84.
"These are extraordinary numbers and they keep growing every year, making this parade even more unique," the note quotes Manuel Vitorino, president of VianaFestas and councillor for Culture at Viana do Castelo Câmara, as saying.
The 'mordomas' (literally stewards) will parade "in front of tens of thousands of people" who usually attend the Romaria d'Agonia "completely filling the main streets of the city to enjoy what is also known as the world's largest spontaneous open-air showcase of gold."
Registration for the Mordomia Parade - said to be the world's largest outdoor showcase of gold jewellery - ran from 5 to 31 July, again using the form available on the official Romaria d'Agonia website, with initially 900 places available. On 2 August, a further 100 places were made available, which were taken up in just 15 minutes.
"The volume of registrations was such that we ended up opening 100 more registrations than those submitted last year," explains Vitorino in the release. "These were duly analysed and validated, one of our concerns being the organisational conditions in the gardens of the former Civil Government, but also the safety of everyone. For these reasons it is not possible to accept an unlimited number of entries."
In view of the number of participants, organisers will "readapt the space where the mordomas will be welcomed, creating more 'QR code' reading stations and counting on the presence of more employees to guarantee more shaded spaces in the gardens of the old Civil Government, the place where the women will gather to leave the parade."
This year, the traditional red costumes from Ribeira Lima and Terras de Geraz, as well as the black costume with waistcoat and palm frond, represent the largest number of entries for the parade.
The pilgrimage will once again be celebrated over nine days, from 14 to 22 August - a format tested in 2023 and which, according to the organisation - resulted in a "greater influx" of visitors to Viana do Castelo.
During that period, more than 1.1 million people are expected to pass through the capital of Alto Minho.
The figure was revealed by the Viana do Castelo city council on the basis of "a study carried out during every day of the pilgrimage, using a questionnaire to assess satisfaction with the event."
ABC/ARO // ARO.
Lusa
