Festivities of Saint Francis of Assisi

The Festivities of Saint Francis of Assisi are celebrated in Mira Sintra, in the União das freguesias de Agualva e Mira-Sintra, in the municipality of Sintra, in the month of October. Although the official patron of the community is the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Saint Francis of Assisi is equally venerated, and it is in his honour that these days of togetherness, tradition and celebration take place. The experience of the festivities is spread across several moments throughout the days. The rituals begin as early as September, extending over three days with celebrations at the chapel, litanies and traditional music. The highlight comes with the procession in honour of Saint Francis of Assisi, which brings the festivities to a close.

Mira-Sintra, alongside Agualva, is one of those places known for the bustle of its people, there in the heart of the municipality of Sintra, far from the romantic postcard of the hills and closer to the solid ground where people work, talk and meet. Here, one does not seek the silence of palaces, but the welcome noise of a living community, shaped by encounters and roots planted across generations. Throughout the year, the community knows better than most how to come together in celebration and turn the calendar into a string of shared occasions. At the table, the honest and generous character of the region reveals itself, with a simple and comforting confectionery that tastes of home and memory. In a Sintra the world knows for its palaces, Mira-Sintra reminds us that there is another Sintra — the everyday one, just as worthy of being known and loved.