We are in June, the sun is shining, it is hot in full preparations in the land of the seven hills in Lisbon.
Santo Antônio de Padóua is watching. Originally he was only the Patron Saint of the Sé, the cathedral in the Alfama district. He is considered today as the Patron Saint of Lisbon.
The Lisbon people give it back to him. Each year hundreds of thousands of people crowd the streets and make this day the biggest party in Portugal, putting the city in a festive state for four weeks...
The districts are adorned with bright colors, the streets are adorned with garlands, colored lanterns and decorated with arches of flowers. On each square, in each street, the Lisbon people and recreational associations improvise stands in which grilled sardines, traditional sweets and other specialties are sold. La Sagres, local beer, and wine flow freely.
The night of "Santo Antônio" is the evening of June 12, the climax of the festivities. June 13 (public holiday in Lisbon) takes a more religious turn with its procession. Then the crowd heads to the old quarters of Alfama, Castelo Sāo Jorge, Bairro Alto, Graça etc, to dance, drink and dance against the backdrop of popular and modern music until daybreak.