Pirenópolis, Brazil

A Ride of Faith


divine revelry
Battalion of Knights of the Divino Espírito Santo walk along a road between farms during the Folia Divina
Banquet
Emperor of the Feast of the Divine Holy Spirit welcomes the Knights of the Divine in his home.
Horseback Riding
Cavaleiros do Divino gallop in front of the church of the Rosary.
Marian Faith
Faithful kneels before the image of Our Lady.
Prayer
Cavaleiro do Divino prays on a farm visited by Divina Folia.
Hypo-stubbornness
Young rider resents his horse's resistance to being ridden.
Hippo Encounter
Young riders talk on a street in the historic center of Pirenópolis.
Spear delivery
Knights of the Holy Spirit deliver spears to the new Emperor of the Feast of the Holy Spirit.
Procession
Procession of the Divine arrives at the altar of the Church of Nª Senhora do Rosário.
masked before time
A young man from the Cavaleiros do Divino group assumes himself as Masquerade during a moment of fun in a bar in Pirenópolis.
crown and shadow
Faithful holds the crown of the Holy Spirit
line dances
Knights of the divine dance in a bar in the historic center of Pirenópolis.
nuisance rockets
Faithful cover their ears to better withstand the bangs of another rocket volley.
knights dance
Knights of the Holy Spirit dance in a moment of fun after a rehearsal.
Divine Stewards
Divine stewards during a religious ceremony of the Feast of the Divine Holy Spirit.
knight
Little knight tries to find his place in a circle dance performed during the Folia Divina.
Introduced in 1819 by Portuguese priests, the Festa do Divino Espírito Santo de Pirenópolis it aggregates a complex web of religious and pagan celebrations. It lasts more than 20 days, spent mostly on the saddle.

As May approaches its end and the Feast of the Divine in Pirenopolis, a considerable part of the men of the city thirst for an inevitable anxiety.

The Folia do Divino is imminent and, almost a month of concentrated freedom, exaggerated but justified fun and, in the case of the predominant devotees, a renewal of belief in the Holy Spirit is announced.

When the time comes, the blue and white shirts and the banners receive the ultimate care, like the best mounts that are brushed to exhaustion before being put on the harness.

Once en route, the euphoric retinue of Cavaleiros do Divino visits farm after farm and site after site, indulging in long banquets, well-watered singing and catiras (folk dances of the region) but also in group prayers.

Cavaleiros do Divino during the Festa do Divino Espírito Santo, Pirenópolis, Brazil

Battalion of Knights of the Divino Espírito Santo walk along a road between farms during the Folia do Divino.

May, the Folia do Divino, the start of the Festa do Divino Espírito Santo

When all the Pousos da Folia Rural are celebrated, the troops regroup in the last farm. From there, go towards the city to join the Urban Folia.

We appreciate its apotheotic burst through the historic center of Pirenópolis, applauded by thousands of visitors from Goiás and other parts of Brazil and by a semi-drunk army of masked curucucus, species of marginal souls.

Knights of the Divine, Feast of the Divine Holy Spirit, Pirenópolis, Brazil

Knights of the Holy Spirit gallop in front of the church of the Rosary

At the same time, a historical subterfuge that the people resorted to to force entry into the event that was, for a time, monopolized by a moneyed elite.

The Feast of the Holy Spirit was inspired by the Bodos ao Pobres, religious celebrations held in Portugal from the XNUMXth century onwards that praised the Third Person of the Holy Trinity and in which, coinciding with the day of Pentecost Island, food and alms were offered to the poor.

Due to the evangelical action, its tradition was strengthened in several future Portuguese colonies such as the The Azores and the Brazil. In Vera Cruz, the festival kept its Catholic roots but, influenced by the exotic lands that welcomed it and surrendered to the whims of its mentors and actors, it allowed for countless extravagances.

The Jesuit Adaptation of the Azorean Version of the Festa do Divino

In Pirenópolis, the Jesuits were responsible for introducing and rooting the Azorean cult of Espírito Santo, using elements and characters with strong Christian symbolism over time, adapted to the tropic-Brazilian reality of the region of Goiás.

It was the cases of Coroa and Ceptro do Divino, but also of the leading figure of the Emperor of the Divine – representing the King and the Lisbon Court – that several priests played, contributing to the notoriety that the commemoration would gain.

Moment of the Divino Espírito Santo Festival, Pirenópolis, Brazil

Faithful cover their ears to better withstand the bangs of another rocket volley.

The rockets explode with a deafening roar. They force the people to cover their ears. Even so, it is the metallic sound of hundreds of horseshoes on the asphalt or the sidewalk of the old city that defines the events.

We accompany the procession that ends at the door of the decorated home of the Emperor in force, selected by drawing lots from dozens of candidates.

There, the Knights deliver to the host the Spears and Crown of the Divine, which can be admired and venerated by believers. And, after carrying out other rites and rituals, they are treated to a comforting meal.

Delivery of the Spears, Feast of the Divine Espírito Santo, Pirenópolis, Brazil

Knights of the Divine deliver spears of the Divine to the new Emperor of the Feast of the Divine Holy Spirit.

From Raising the Flag of Divino to the Ruidosa Banda do Couro

That same night, there is a mass at the Igreja Matriz in Nª Senhora do Rosário. When the Eucharist ends, a huge bonfire is lit, just barely safe from its nave and the enchantment of the huge flames attracts an enthusiastic crowd. The Banner of the Divine is in its place. It remains to raise the imposing mast that must hoist it.

Procession enters the Church of Our Lady Rosário, Pirenópolis, Brazil

Procession of the Divine arrives at the altar of the Church of Nª Senhora do Rosário.

The task is risky and requires an impressive collective effort that the volunteers smooth out using long sticks that require a delicate combination of strength and balance. The slightest mistake can result in tragedy, but with the blessing of the Holy Spirit, everything goes for the best. As a reward, a new grandiose firework lights up the black sky.

The journey does not end there yet. A noisy merry-go-round that occupies the opposite side of the church invites the most populist participants to join the dance and the snacks, while the elegant terraces on Rua do Lazer entertain the rest.

Later, at around four in the morning, the resistant revelers (but also those who are already sleeping) are treated to a dawn by the old woman (created in 1814) Banda de Couro. And, as if this compulsive awakening were not enough, in the early morning that is announced, the city is offered a new pyrotechnic discharge.

Dance of the Knights of the Divine in a Bar in Pirenópolis, Festa do Divino Espírito Santo, Pirenópolis, Brazil

Cavaleiros do Divino dance in a bar in the historic center of Pirenópolis.

At the end of the weekend, the outsiders return to their origins and the village enters into a semi-animation regime, stimulated “only” by the performances of the Banda de Couro, the pealing of bells, masses and daily rehearsals of Cavalhadas, a reconstitution – equestrian, of course – from the Crusades that close, every year, the long ceremonial.

The Little Virgins and the Breads of the Feast of the Divine

We come to a new Saturday. Both the knights and the masked reappear. The Imperial Courtship is already in motion and it is the little virgins in white who demand attention until the procession gives way to the drawing of the successor Emperor.

Once the winner is found, the current one is taken by a vast religious company to their home where Verónicas (sweets) and Pãezinhos do Divino are distributed to the girls who purified the procession. This ritual, in particular, requires extra patience from both organizers and participants.

Fé Mariana, Pirenópolis, Brazil

Faithful kneels before the image of Our Lady.

A line is formed that extends from the entrance hall to the avenue adjacent to the house. And, in that order, mothers, aunts, grandmothers and women with the nerve to suffice but suspect kinships receive a basket with the desired cakes.

They then leave through a different door and are supposed to follow the path, but many, taking advantage of the confusion that takes over the ceremony, return to the queue to take the gift to double or triple, using the purest charming creativity when they are caught: "Hey, they're for the little sisters. If you don't take it to them, they'll be jealous!"

Shortly thereafter, the female crowd leaves the Emperor's house. On the way back to their homes, the sound of horseshoes against the polished stones of the pavements echoes in the streets of the center, more intense than ever, or an appeal to a certain family relationship influential enough to justify a squint.

On the imminence of Cavalcades from Pirenópolis

In this way, the city walks fill with the return of outsiders. Most come from Brasília, Goiânia and the many surrounding villages. Some come from farther afield. From Sampa, from Rio, from abroad, attracted by the increasingly popular beauty of the party.

Cars are prohibited in the historic center. This gift allows the masked to seize the wide streets where they ride meaninglessly, stopping only to pose for photos of the public and ask for small contributions to purchase their fuel: the cold beer.

Masked during the Feast of the Divine Holy Spirit Pirenópolis, Brazil

ovem of the group of Cavaleiros do Divino assumes himself as Masquerade during a moment of fun in a bar in Pirenópolis

Refusal is rare. We are in the dry season in the Brazilian Midwest region and the heat is on, especially when you are inside a fiber suit for hours, with your head in a cardboard mask.

Around one in the afternoon, the curucucus they make way for the solemn passage of the Christian and Moorish “armies” towards the Cavalhódromo. There the Cavalcades.

Passo do Lontra, Miranda, Brazil

The Flooded Brazil of Passo do Lontra

We are on the western edge of Mato Grosso do Sul but bush, on these sides, is something else. In an extension of almost 200.000 km2, the Brazil it appears partially submerged, by rivers, streams, lakes and other waters dispersed in vast alluvial plains. Not even the panting heat of the dry season drains the life and biodiversity of Pantanal places and farms like the one that welcomed us on the banks of the Miranda River.
Cape Coast, Ghana

The Divine Purification Festival

The story goes that, once, a plague devastated the population of Cape Coast of today Ghana. Only the prayers of the survivors and the cleansing of evil carried out by the gods will have put an end to the scourge. Since then, the natives have returned the blessing of the 77 deities of the traditional Oguaa region with the frenzied Fetu Afahye festival.
Jaisalmer, India

There's a Feast in the Thar Desert

As soon as the short winter breaks, Jaisalmer indulges in parades, camel races, and turban and mustache competitions. Its walls, alleys and surrounding dunes take on more color than ever. During the three days of the event, natives and outsiders watch, dazzled, as the vast and inhospitable Thar finally shines through.
Manaus, Brazil

The Jumps and Starts of the former World Rubber Capital

From 1879 to 1912, only the Amazon River basin generated the latex that, from one moment to another, the world needed and, out of nowhere, Manaus became one of the most advanced cities on the face of the Earth. But an English explorer took the tree to Southeast Asia and ruined pioneer production. Manaus once again proved its elasticity. It is the largest city in the Amazon and the seventh in Brazil.
Bacolod, Philippines

A Festival to Laugh at Tragedy

Around 1980, the value of sugar, an important source of wealth on the Philippine island of Negros, plummeted and the ferry “Don Juan” that served it sank and took the lives of more than 176 passengers, most of them from Negrès. The local community decided to react to the depression generated by these dramas. That's how MassKara arose, a party committed to recovering the smiles of the population.
Shows

The World on Stage

All over the world, each nation, region or town and even neighborhood has its own culture. When traveling, nothing is more rewarding than admiring, live and in loco, which makes them unique.
Helsinki, Finland

A Frigid-Scholarly Via Crucis

When Holy Week arrives, Helsinki shows its belief. Despite the freezing cold, little dressed actors star in a sophisticated re-enactment of Via Crucis through streets full of spectators.
Helsinki, Finland

The Pagan Passover of Seurasaari

In Helsinki, Holy Saturday is also celebrated in a Gentile way. Hundreds of families gather on an offshore island, around lit fires to chase away evil spirits, witches and trolls
Marinduque, Philippines

When the Romans Invade the Philippines

Even the Eastern Empire didn't get that far. In Holy Week, thousands of centurions seize Marinduque. There, the last days of Longinus, a legionary converted to Christianity, are re-enacted.
Pirenópolis, Brazil

Brazilian Crusades

Christian armies expelled Muslim forces from the Iberian Peninsula in the XNUMXth century. XV but, in Pirenópolis, in the Brazilian state of Goiás, the South American subjects of Carlos Magno continue to triumph.
San Cristóbal de las Casas a Campeche, Mexico

A Relay of Faith

The Catholic equivalent of Our Lady of Fátima, Our Lady of Guadalupe moves and moves Mexico. Its faithful cross the country's roads, determined to bring the proof of their faith to the patroness of the Americas.
Mount Sinai, Egypt

Strength in the Legs, Faith in God

Moses received the Ten Commandments on the summit of Mount Sinai and revealed them to the people of Israel. Today, hundreds of pilgrims climb, every night, the 4000 steps of that painful but mystical ascent.
Miranda, Brazil

Maria dos Jacarés: the Pantanal shelters such Creatures

Eurides Fátima de Barros was born in the interior of the Miranda region. 38 years ago, he settled in a small business on the side of BR262 that crosses the Pantanal and gained an affinity with the alligators that lived on his doorstep. Disgusted that once upon a time the creatures were being slaughtered there, she began to take care of them. Now known as Maria dos Jacarés, she named each of the animals after a soccer player or coach. It also makes sure they recognize your calls.
Curitiba, Brazil

The High-Quality Life of Curitiba

It is not only the altitude of almost 1000 meters at which the city is located. Cosmopolitan and multicultural, the capital of Paraná has a quality of life and human development rating that make it a unique case in Brazil.

Florianopolis, Brazil

The South Atlantic Azorean Legacy

During the XNUMXth century, thousands of Portuguese islanders pursued better lives in the southern confines of Brazil. In the villages they founded, traces of affinity with the origins abound.

Morro de São Paulo, Brazil

A Divine Seaside of Bahia

Three decades ago, it was just a remote and humble fishing village. Until some post-hippie communities revealed the Morro's retreat to the world and promoted it to a kind of bathing sanctuary.
Sheets of Bahia, Brazil

The Swampy Freedom of Quilombo do Remanso

Runaway slaves have survived for centuries around a wetland in Chapada Diamantina. Today, the quilombo of Remanso is a symbol of their union and resistance, but also of the exclusion to which they were voted.
Ilhabela, Brazil

Ilhabela: After Horror, the Atlantic Beauty

Ninety percent of the preserved Atlantic Forest, idyllic waterfalls and gentle, wild beaches live up to the name. But, if we go back in time, we also reveal the horrific historical facet of Ilhabela.
Ilhabela, Brazil

In Ilhabela, on the way to Bonete

A community of caiçaras descendants of pirates founded a village in a corner of Ilhabela. Despite the difficult access, Bonete was discovered and considered one of the ten best beaches in Brazil.
Goiás Velho, Brazil

A Gold Rush Legacy

Two centuries after the heyday of prospecting, lost in time and in the vastness of the Central Plateau, Goiás esteems its admirable colonial architecture, the surprising wealth that remains to be discovered there.
Believers greet each other in the Bukhara region.
City
Bukhara, Uzbequistan

Among the Minarets of Old Turkestan

Situated on the ancient Silk Road, Bukhara has developed for at least two thousand years as an essential commercial, cultural and religious hub in Central Asia. It was Buddhist and then Muslim. It was part of the great Arab empire and that of Genghis Khan, the Turko-Mongol kingdoms and the Soviet Union, until it settled in the still young and peculiar Uzbekistan.
Host Wezi points out something in the distance
Beaches
Cobue; Nkwichi Lodge, Mozambique

The Hidden Mozambique of the Creaking Sands

During a tour from the bottom to the top of Lake Malawi, we find ourselves on the island of Likoma, an hour by boat from Nkwichi Lodge, the solitary base of this inland coast of Mozambique. On the Mozambican side, the lake is known as Niassa. Whatever its name, there we discover some of the most stunning and unspoilt scenery in south-east Africa.
Juvenile lions on a sandy arm of the Shire River
safari
Liwonde National Park, Malawi

The Prodigious Resuscitation of Liwonde NP

For a long time, widespread neglect and widespread poaching had plagued this wildlife reserve. In 2015, African Parks stepped in. Soon, also benefiting from the abundant water of Lake Malombe and the Shire River, Liwonde National Park became one of the most vibrant and lush parks in Malawi.
Prayer flags in Ghyaru, Nepal
Annapurna (circuit)
Annapurna Circuit: 4th – Upper Banana to Ngawal, Nepal

From Nightmare to Dazzle

Unbeknownst to us, we are faced with an ascent that leads us to despair. We pulled our strength as far as possible and reached Ghyaru where we felt closer than ever to the Annapurnas. The rest of the way to Ngawal felt like a kind of extension of the reward.
Architecture & Design
Cemeteries

the last address

From the grandiose tombs of Novodevichy, in Moscow, to the boxed Mayan bones of Pomuch, in the Mexican province of Campeche, each people flaunts its own way of life. Even in death.
Aventura
Volcanoes

Mountains of Fire

More or less prominent ruptures in the earth's crust, volcanoes can prove to be as exuberant as they are capricious. Some of its eruptions are gentle, others prove annihilating.
Ceremonies and Festivities
Pueblos del Sur, Venezuela

The Pueblos del Sur Locainas, Their Dances and Co.

From the beginning of the XNUMXth century, with Hispanic settlers and, more recently, with Portuguese emigrants, customs and traditions well known in the Iberian Peninsula and, in particular, in northern Portugal, were consolidated in the Pueblos del Sur.
Weddings in Jaffa, Israel,
Cities
Jaffa, Israel

Where Tel Aviv Settles Always in Party

Tel Aviv is famous for the most intense night in the Middle East. But, if its youngsters are having fun until exhaustion in the clubs along the Mediterranean, it is more and more in the nearby Old Jaffa that they tie the knot.
Singapore Asian Capital Food, Basmati Bismi
Lunch time
Singapore

The Asian Food Capital

There were 4 ethnic groups in Singapore, each with its own culinary tradition. Added to this was the influence of thousands of immigrants and expatriates on an island with half the area of ​​London. It was the nation with the greatest gastronomic diversity in the Orient.
Tatooine on Earth
Culture
Matmata Tataouine:  Tunisia

Star Wars Earth Base

For security reasons, the planet Tatooine from "The Force Awakens" was filmed in Abu Dhabi. We step back into the cosmic calendar and revisit some of the Tunisian places with the most impact in the saga.  
Swimming, Western Australia, Aussie Style, Sun rising in the eyes
Sport
Busselton, Australia

2000 meters in Aussie Style

In 1853, Busselton was equipped with one of the longest pontoons in the world. World. When the structure collapsed, the residents decided to turn the problem around. Since 1996 they have been doing it every year. Swimming.
Homer, Alaska, Kachemak Bay
Traveling
Anchorage to Homer, USA

Journey to the End of the Alaskan Road

If Anchorage became the great city of the 49th US state, Homer, 350km away, is its most famous dead end. Veterans of these parts consider this strange tongue of land sacred ground. They also venerate the fact that, from there, they cannot continue anywhere.
Impressions Lijiang Show, Yangshuo, China, Red Enthusiasm
Ethnic
Lijiang e Yangshuo, China

An Impressive China

One of the most respected Asian filmmakers, Zhang Yimou dedicated himself to large outdoor productions and co-authored the media ceremonies of the Beijing OG. But Yimou is also responsible for “Impressions”, a series of no less controversial stagings with stages in emblematic places.
sunlight photography, sun, lights
Got2Globe Photo Portfolio
Natural Light (Part 2)

One Sun, So Many Lights

Most travel photos are taken in sunlight. Sunlight and weather form a capricious interaction. Learn how to predict, detect and use at its best.
Casario, uptown, Fianarantsoa, ​​Madagascar
History
Fianarantsoa, Madagascar

The Malagasy City of Good Education

Fianarantsoa was founded in 1831 by Ranavalona Iª, a queen of the then predominant Merina ethnic group. Ranavalona Iª was seen by European contemporaries as isolationist, tyrant and cruel. The monarch's reputation aside, when we enter it, its old southern capital remains as the academic, intellectual and religious center of Madagascar.
aggie gray, Samoa, South Pacific, Marlon Brando Fale
Islands
Apia, Western Samoa

The Host of the South Pacific

She sold burguês to GI's in World War II and opened a hotel that hosted Marlon Brando and Gary Cooper. Aggie Gray passed away in 2. Her legacy lives on in the South Pacific.
Horses under a snow, Iceland Never Ending Snow Island Fire
Winter White
Husavik a Myvatn, Iceland

Endless Snow on the Island of Fire

When, in mid-May, Iceland already enjoys some sun warmth but the cold and snow persist, the inhabitants give in to an intriguing summer anxiety.
Couple visiting Mikhaylovskoe, village where writer Alexander Pushkin had a home
Literature
Saint Petersburg e Mikhaylovkoe, Russia

The Writer Who Succumbed to His Own Plot

Alexander Pushkin is hailed by many as the greatest Russian poet and the founder of modern Russian literature. But Pushkin also dictated an almost tragicomic epilogue to his prolific life.
Mangrove between Ibo and Quirimba Island-Mozambique
Nature
Ibo Island a Quirimba IslandMozambique

Ibo to Quirimba with the Tide

For centuries, the natives have traveled in and out of the mangrove between the island of Ibo and Quirimba, in the time that the overwhelming return trip from the Indian Ocean grants them. Discovering the region, intrigued by the eccentricity of the route, we follow its amphibious steps.
Girl plays with leaves on the shore of the Great Lake at Catherine Palace
Autumn
Saint Petersburg, Russia

Golden Days Before the Storm

Aside from the political and military events precipitated by Russia, from mid-September onwards, autumn takes over the country. In previous years, when visiting Saint Petersburg, we witnessed how the cultural and northern capital was covered in a resplendent yellow-orange. A dazzling light that hardly matches the political and military gloom that had spread in the meantime.
Masada fortress, Israel
Natural Parks
Massada, Israel

Massada: The Ultimate Jewish Fortress

In AD 73, after months of siege, a Roman legion found that the resisters at the top of Masada had committed suicide. Once again Jewish, this fortress is now the supreme symbol of Zionist determination
Seljalandsfoss Escape
UNESCO World Heritage
Iceland

The Island of Fire, Ice and Waterfalls

Europe's supreme cascade rushes into Iceland. But it's not the only one. On this boreal island, with constant rain or snow and in the midst of battle between volcanoes and glaciers, endless torrents crash.
View from the top of Mount Vaea and the tomb, Vailima village, Robert Louis Stevenson, Upolu, Samoa
Characters
Upolu, Samoa

Stevenson's Treasure Island

At age 30, the Scottish writer began looking for a place to save him from his cursed body. In Upolu and the Samoans, he found a welcoming refuge to which he gave his heart and soul.
Soufrière and Pitons, Saint Luci
Beaches
Soufriere, Saint Lucia

The Great Pyramids of the Antilles

Perched above a lush coastline, the twin peaks Pitons are the hallmark of Saint Lucia. They have become so iconic that they have a place in the highest notes of East Caribbean Dollars. Right next door, residents of the former capital Soufrière know how precious their sight is.
Conflicted Way
Religion
Jerusalem, Israel

Through the Belicious Streets of Via Dolorosa

In Jerusalem, while traveling the Via Dolorosa, the most sensitive believers realize how difficult the peace of the Lord is to achieve in the most disputed streets on the face of the earth.
Flam Railway composition below a waterfall, Norway.
On Rails
Nesbyen to Flam, Norway

Flam Railway: Sublime Norway from the First to the Last Station

By road and aboard the Flam Railway, on one of the steepest railway routes in the world, we reach Flam and the entrance to the Sognefjord, the largest, deepest and most revered of the Scandinavian fjords. From the starting point to the last station, this monumental Norway that we have unveiled is confirmed.
Parade and Pomp
Society
Saint Petersburg, Russia

When the Russian Navy Stations in Saint Petersburg

Russia dedicates the last Sunday of July to its naval forces. On that day, a crowd visits large boats moored on the Neva River as alcohol-drenched sailors seize the city.
Saksun, Faroe Islands, Streymoy, warning
Daily life
Saksun, streymoyFaroe Islands

The Faroese Village That Doesn't Want to be Disneyland

Saksun is one of several stunning small villages in the Faroe Islands that more and more outsiders visit. It is distinguished by the aversion to tourists of its main rural owner, author of repeated antipathies and attacks against the invaders of his land.
Lake Manyara, National Park, Ernest Hemingway, Giraffes
Wildlife
Lake Manyara NP, Tanzania

Hemingway's Favorite Africa

Situated on the western edge of the Rift Valley, Lake Manyara National Park is one of the smallest but charming and richest in Europe. wild life of Tanzania. In 1933, between hunting and literary discussions, Ernest Hemingway dedicated a month of his troubled life to him. He narrated those adventurous safari days in “The Green Hills of Africa".
Full Dog Mushing
Scenic Flights
Seward, Alaska

The Alaskan Dog Mushing Summer

It's almost 30 degrees and the glaciers are melting. In Alaska, entrepreneurs have little time to get rich. Until the end of August, dog mushing cannot stop.