Querença village will again be staging the popular annual sausage festival Festa das Chouriças on January 21 and 22.
The festival, in honour of St Louis, the patron saint of animals, is described as one of the most important gastronomic events in the Algarve interior. It attracts thousands of people each year and has become an important tourist attraction for the area.
Tradition has it that families in the interior of the Algarve used to rear pigs to provide them with food for the year and Saint Louis would be asked to look after the pigs to ensure the family had sustenance.
To show their gratitude, families would then offer the best homemade chouriças to the patron saint of animals.
As part of the festival’s programme, from 9pm on Saturday, January 21 there will be Fado music at the Dance Hall of Casa do Povo de Querença.
Then on Sunday at 11am, one of the highlights of the festival will be the inauguration of the exhibition Tradições Serranas – A Matança do Porco (Mountain traditions – the killing of the pig) at the church square.
The exhibition aims to recreate the century-old tradition, from rearing the pig to how the by-products are prepared for consumption.
Several stalls will be offering visitors the chance to taste different types of chouriças locally produced.
Also on Sunday, religious celebrations commence at 3pm with a mass followed by a procession through the streets of Querença.
From 4.15pm at the church square, the main feature of the festival will take place, which is a chouriças auction.
For more information about the Festa das Chouriças in Querença, please call Loulé Câmara on 289 400 811.
