The
Portuguese School of Equestrian Art (EPAE), under
the management of Parques de Sintra – Monte da Lua, shall be regularly making
performances and holding training sessions open to the general public at the HenriqueCalado Stables (on Calçada da Ajuda, in Belém) as from 20th July.
At this central location, the public thus gains the
opportunity to attend not only training
sessions but also weekly
performances and galas. At the
training sessions, visitors are able to witness the work that gets carried out
daily by the riders whilst the performances feature a diverse range of
choreographies and exercises, such as the carousel, long reins and airs above
the ground to the sound of specifically selected music. In the galas, held to
commemorate special dates and occasions, the performances are more extensive
and include a diverse number of presentations accompanied by lighting and sound
effects to further deepen and enrich the scenario.
EPAE, one of Europe’s four Equestrian Art Schools, was
set up in 1979 with the specific objective of teaching, performing and raising
the profile of traditional Portuguese Equestrian Art and in keeping with the
legacy handed down by the Real Picaria (Royal Stables), the equestrian academy of
the Portuguese court, which was closed down in the 19th century. After
a time at the Portuguese Riding Company in Campo Grande, the Portuguese School
of Equestrian Art took up residence in the National Palace of Queluz in 1996 and
the site for its subsequent regular presentations open to the public.
Parques de Sintra – Monte da Lua, S.A. (the managing
entity of the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art since September 2012) in 2014
signed a protocol with the Portuguese
Army providing for the restoration and transformation of the stables in
order to appropriately house such performances and thereby bringing about the
return of this national art to its place of origin, Belém.
In addition to the historical association of this area
of the city with equestrian art, whether for military purposes or in service of
the “Royal Household”, Belém is also one of the Portuguese capital’s major
tourist attractions and thus correspondingly rendering greater visibility and
ease of visitor access to the different proposals provided by the Portuguese
School of Equestrian Art.
Visiting the Henrique Calado Stables opens up the
opportunity to travel back through Portuguese history, experiencing the moments
that perpetuated the beauty of the Lusitano horses from the Alter Real Stud
Farm, engaged in this art since the 18th century, with the
performance of classical riding exercises alongside those from the Baroque
period and the exercises making up the Court Games (tournaments held between
the 16th and 19th centuries to commemorate festive
occasions) and furthermore reflected in the costumes, saddles and harnesses,
whether the working (Daily Training) or the gala versions (Weekly Presentations
and Gala Performances) and exactly alike those in use in the earliest days of
Portuguese Equestrian Art.
Find more information at:
- Henrique Calado Stables - Calçada da Ajuda, Belém - www.arteequestre.pt
https://www.facebook.com/escolaportuguesadearteequestre
https://www.facebook.com/escolaportuguesadearteequestre
- Reservations and
further information: Tel.: +351
21 923 7300
Email: info@parquesdesintra.pt
- Parques de Sintra
- Parques de Sintra
