Saint Anthony's Thrones, Lisbon, Portugal
Saint Anthony's Thrones are a tradition dating back to the 18th century, recovered in 2015 by EGEAC (Lisbon's Cultural Department) and Saint Anthony's Museum. The thrones are exhibited during two days, in June, scattered all over the city, but some remain beyond those two days. The event is part of Lisbon's June Festivities.
After the Great Earthquake of 1755, the thrones were a way of collecting money to rebuild Saint Anthony's church. They were made by the population, adults and children, and were usually put on the doorsteps. Although very popular, Saint Anthony's thrones slowly started disappearing, probably because their main purpose was accomplished, and as soon as the 19th century very few people kept the tradition. In order to maintain it, in the mid 20th century the municipality promoted contests, but those too eventually ended. In the beginning of the 21st century, very few thrones were to be seen in June.
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Map to the thrones:
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