The 16th-Century Market, a traditional event in Campo parish, welcomes visitors to experience the medieval era.

The latest edition of the 16th-Century Market in Bassar, in the parish of Campo, offered tradition, history, and lively entertainment to attendees on a journey through time.

With period decorations and many people dressed in period costume, the parish streets were filled with curious visitors who closely followed the journey back to the King's court.

Numerous vendors showcased local trade, presenting a wealth of food, drink, crafts, and diverse regional goods.

The celebrations kicked off with the iconic 16th-century banquet, held at each edition, where participants recreate a royal court dinner, complete with music and theatre, as it was in times before television.

Countless groups and artists filled the cobbled streets, showcasing music, dance, theatre, and acrobatics. Animals, including birds of prey, reptiles, and horses, accompanied the Knights of Ribadouro in jousts and duels for the honour of their royal houses.

The chairman of the Campo Parish Council, Pedro Aparício, who recently began his first term of office, says that organising this event for the first time was “a very challenging experience, but also an extremely rewarding one, in which we managed to achieve the goals we had set ourselves”.

“The 16th-Century Market is an important event in the community life of the Parish of Campo, which has been growing over the years and has now reached a very impressive scale and structure. This, in itself, brings with it an increased responsibility, to which we had to respond with quality,” he added.

Pedro Aparício stated that, although this initiative did not begin under his leadership, it should continue and expand throughout his term of office. "Without a shadow of a doubt, this is an event that should be maintained throughout my term of office. However, what I would most like to see is the creation of conditions that allow the 16th-Century Market to continue to grow and establish itself independently of political cycles,” he said.

When asked about the importance of residents’ collaboration in staging the event, the official replied that “it is not just important, it is essential”. “The 16th-Century Market is a true product of community life. It has been held in various villages across our parish, always with the deep involvement of local people.

It goes far beyond simply transporting materials or handling logistics.

The inhabitants of each village give their time, energy and commitment to ensure the event’s success, always ending with a tremendous sense of satisfaction and pride in the work accomplished.

That is precisely what makes this event so special: each village contributes its own unique qualities, but all share the same goal of creating something of quality for the community.”

In a forthcoming edition, the president told The Portugal News that he would like to see the event’s 16th-century atmosphere enhanced, so that participants can immerse themselves more fully in the experience.

"Fortunately, the Parish of Campo already has an indisputable reputation for quality in the cultural sphere, with several major events taking place in the municipality of Viseu. The 16th-Century Market is undoubtedly one of the main ones, and it still has enormous potential for growth that we wish to continue to explore. This event promotes our parish both from a tourism perspective and in terms of valuing and retaining the local population, and is also a very positive reflection of the dynamism and community life that exists in the Parish of Campo.

It is now up to us to continue investing efforts to increase this profile and consolidate the growth of the event”, concluded Pedro Aparício.