Spend springtime in Ireland and you could be forgiven for thinking that this country was the home of the saintly parade: from the ancient yet newly fledged (in festival terms) Brigid, to the stalwart St Patrick. But go to Lisbon in June and think again. Things start to kick off for St Anthony – officially “of Padua”, but he’s patron saint of both Lisbon and Portugal itself – at the beginning of June, with neighbourhood parties around the city. Known as Arraiais, these outdoor events include dancing, DJs, street food and pop-up bars. They run all month long, but the main event is June 12th, the Eve of St Anthony, when a huge parade takes place and action at the arraiais goes on into the small hours.
We arrive a day early, to get in a little exploring before the celebrations engulf us. We are staying in the thick of things at Lisbon’s grand dame of a hotel, the Tivoli Avenida Liberdade. The hotel dates from the 1930s, and a recent revamp has made it elegant in a laid-back way, with plenty of art and a retro contemporary vibe.
Lisbon in June has near-perfect weather. It’s not too hot, and the streets are carpeted purple and yellow with jacaranda and acacia blossoms. Lunch at the Tivoli’s Cervejaria Liberdade is longer than planned, because the fresh seafood dishes are too tasty to rush, but we make it out and wander down the main tree-shaded avenue, all the way to Praça do Comércio. This huge and beautiful square defines Lisbon’s relationship with its river, the Tagus, and the sea in a way that no Irish city seems to manage. And although the outcome of the explorations of the likes of Vasco da Gama, the first European to reach India by boat, weren’t good for the indigenous populations, the square itself conjures feelings of how those 15th-century sailors might have felt as they left.
Although Lisbon is known as the City of Seven Hills, the centre is highly walkable, as Avenida Liberdade leads – via Praça Rossio with its elegant fountains, and Rua Augusta with its restaurants and cafes – under the Augusta arch to Praça do Comércio itself. Walking down, look to your right to see the Elevador de Santa Justa, an Art Nouveau extravaganza of a lift. Tickets are €6.10, but the queues are a nightmare and not worth it just to say you did it.
RM Block
Instead we catch the Glória Funicular (also known as the Ascensor de Glória) up to Barrio Alto where, alerted by the aroma of grilled sardines, we discover the Arraial da Misericórdia, with local wines and cocktails, and gorgeous city views, plus live music: from Fado to the more thump-thump-thump kind of stuff. Pay your funicular fare of €4.20 by tapping your bank card on board, which also works on the city’s trams, including the famous Tram 28, which will bring you on a loop of the city’s neighbourhoods and sights. While many of Lisbon’s tram lines are more modern, Tram 28 still uses the old 1930s cars, small enough for the winding streets.
Next morning crews are out in force, putting up barriers and stands for the parade. Stalls appear selling basil plants, a traditional saint’s day gift, often with a love poem tucked in. An untimely tram strike gives us a real sense of the steepness of Lisbon’s hills, where steps ramble up and up, and gives us a hearty appetite for an early dinner at Seen, the Tivoli’s ultra cool roof restaurant and bar, where we fortify ourselves with cocktails, divinely gorgeous sea scallops and schnitzels before heading down to the parade.
A good idea, as the parade lasts for hours. Each neighbourhood sends down a team, costumed up to the nines, dancing for the assembled throngs. Bands appear out of fake boats. Another group are riffing on supermarket trolleys. Another leaps out of wine casks. Our stand is opposite the judges, and everyone pauses for the TV cameras, with chats that might just come alive for those fluent in Portuguese. The whole thing feels like an extended Eurovision interval act, and the crowd loves it.
We leave the stand to discover it’s much more fun at street level, as performers are necking back wine from the bottle, proffered from the crowds by proud neighbours, and everyone is in great form. After that it’s up the hill to nose out another arraial, and then, when it all starts to feel way too hectic, we find ourselves in Gin Lovers, an unexpected gem in Embaixada, an atmospheric 19th-century neo-Moorish palace in the Príncipe Real neighbourhood. Outside it’s wild, and inside we have it mostly to ourselves. The cocktails are phenomenal, and it’s the kind of place where you wouldn’t be too surprised to find Ernest Hemingway. We make up stories until long past bedtime.
On our last morning, and somewhat in debt to our adventures, we skip the religious parade, and the mass wedding at the cathedral (St Anthony is also patron saint of finding love) to discover the hotel’s swimming pool. It is a little circular oasis, with exotic birds flitting about the trees and occasional waiters offering delectable treats. Had we discovered it sooner, we may never have explored more. Maybe Anthony had a hand in it. As well as lovers and lost property, he looks after travellers too.
Getting there
Gemma Tipton was a guest of Tivoli Avenida Liberdade. Rooms from about €425 per night. Aer Lingus and Ryanair fly to Lisbon Airport, which has a direct metro link to the city centre.
Saintly sleepovers
Some saints’ days merge with older pre-Christian celebrations. Here are four saint-adjacent extravaganzas across Europe. Check out specialist operators such as Joe Walsh Tours if you’re more in the market for the pilgrimage side of things.
St John’s Eve on the Aran Islands
June 23rd
The eve of the birth of St John the Baptist is also pretty close to midsummer, and is marked with bonfires across rural Ireland. The fires on Inis Mór are community led, and on a clear night, after a good feed at Joe Watty’s Bar, cycling in the half dark on a late June evening, you can follow their glow across the hillsides. They are also visible on Inis Meáin, where St John is patron saint. We got things going with lobster rolls, locally caught: the lobsters, not the rolls; by Niamh and Bertie Donohue at Aran Seafood Café, who also supply their yummy crustaceans to Galway’s Kai restaurant.
The next day, a tour with Thomas Faherty was enlivened by the stellar scenery, and by Flaherty’s tales of the island’s history, and of his horse’s starring role in The Banshees of Inisherin, meaning you don’t really need to wait for a saintly reason to visit. Aran Island Ferries have departures from Rossaveel, and from Galway Docks with the seasonal option of a cruise-back via the Cliffs of Moher. Stay at The Aran Islands Hotel, from €190 for two in a chalet. Bike hire from Aran Bike Hire handily on the harbour,
Calcio Storico Fiorentino, Italy
Dates in June; ends on June 24th
Another St John-related event is played out in Florence’s beautiful Piazza Santa Croce, which is covered with sand and lined with viewing stands for the occasion. Calcio Storico is football, but not as we know it. Incorporating elements of rugby, a dose of mixed martial arts, and with teams of 27 a side, the main rules appear to be “no weapons”, although it does get pretty full-on. Back in the day they weren’t past shoving bulls on to the pitch to liven things up even more. To add to the spectacle, it is played in historic costume. The winning team gets free dinner and a great deal of glory.
Tickets are available in person a week before each game, with prices starting at about €30. For those who can’t get a ticket, the games are live-streamed, and the city is alive with their crackling atmosphere. Aer Lingus and Ryanair both fly from Dublin to Pisa, with bus connections to Florence. Florence is awash with charming spots to stay. Try centrally located Residence Hilda with apartments and suites from about €220 a night in June.
San Savino at Ivrea, Italy
July 7th
St Savino never actually made it to the town of Ivrea, north of Turin, until AD 956, which was 600 years after his martyrdom. Still, as the story goes, no sooner had his relics arrived but the plague abruptly ceased. These days they mark their deliverance with a horse fair. The town squares become arenas, with parades, demonstrations and medieval pageantry. Add food, music, and a very local vibe and you’ve got quite the event.
Ivrea has another saint-adjacent date, with The Battle of the Oranges each February, around the time of Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday, so although it marks the town’s revolt against an unpleasant tyrant, it is also part of the pre-Lenten carnival. Teams pelt one another with ripe oranges, while spectators wear red hats in an attempt to stay out of the firing line. As a small town, Ivrea books up pretty quickly. Try Dora Maison de Charme from €95; otherwise Turin is an hour away with direct trains at just €7. Ryanair has direct flights to Turin.
Krampusnacht, Salzburg, Austria
December 6th
If Santa is going to find out who’s naughty and nice, what happens to the naughty ones? Some traditions say you get lumps of coal instead of gifts, but across the Alpine areas of Europe, Krampus roams the streets. He’s horned, he’s hairy and he is quite terrifying, coming out to play on the eve of the Feast of St Nicholas. Sometimes he’s accompanied by the Perchten, who are equally ghastly figures, but while the Perchten are there to drive out winter’s evil spirits, Krampus has one job – to punish the bold kids.
Krampus runs take place in Salzburg alongside the Christmas markets, and they can be alarming – or thrilling, depending on your point of view. In other words very young children probably won’t buy into the whole “monster wanting to carry you off to hell” thing. Steer clear of the front row if you don’t fancy being threatened with birch branches, otherwise it’s good fun with plenty of glühwein. Look out for Krampus in Germany, Slovenia and parts of Italy, too. His fame has spread, and there are now Krampus parades around the world, including in New Orleans. Your best bet is to fly to Munich with Aer Lingus, and take the train with a change at Munich’s Ostbanhof. Try the NH Collection Salzburg City from about €295 for two.
