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The city of Coimbra has organized several festivities over the centuries. Although the best known is in honor of its patron saint, Rainha Santa, since old times the City Council also held a Festivity in honor of Santo António, on the 13th of June.
The documentation of the Municipal Historical Archive has logged the realization of the event dated to the sixteenth century, although the content of the text makes the tradition sound even more ancient. The festivity was known as “bodo de Santo António” having for its realization royal regiment from Dom João III, “for the day of the saint and next to the house where it was always held”. For this purpose, people from the bishopric were asked to give money for the “bodo” on the day of the festivity, with bread and wine, and for church sermons being held during the year on Wednesdays at the Convent of São Francisco, and on the eve and on the day of Santo António, at the Saint’s own house. (AHMC/Vereações, no. 7, 1535/6).
Document about the Festivities of Santo António
Fernando de Bulhões being his baptismal name, he changed it to António. He was born in Lisbon in 1195 according to some authors, and joined the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in 1210. He joined the Monastery of Santa Cruz de Coimbra in 1212 to carry out his studies. In 1221 he entered the Order of the Franciscans and moved to the hermitage of Santo Antão, in Santo António dos Olivais. He left Portugal to preach and died in Padua on the 13th of June of 1231, precisely 780 years ago. He was a Doctor of the Church being known various of his writings and sermons. In Coimbra, he was also remembered and celebrated in festivals of which will not be an exception the “Registo Litográfico de Santo António”, of the nineteenth century that we have today in the collections of the AHMC.