Cabo Espichel

A frequent film location with a history dating back to the dinosaurs and long a significant pilgrimage site.

The common tale involves two fishermen sawing firewood — and likely cutting their hands off in shock as the Holy Virgin ascends the cliffs on a mule. Vertically, of course. Why exactly the Catholic Church turned the dinosaur tracks into a shrine remains a mystery. It’s clear that this is a Christian reinterpretation of a much older tradition, as a few woodworms from 1410 weren’t the first to wonder about the monstrous footprints in the rock wall.

 

 

The cape is a filming location for Madonna’s ”Dark Ballet,” where the transgender, HIV-positive American Mykki Blanco takes on the role of Joan of Arc at the stake. Could be seen as cultural appropriation.

 

 

Records of the small chapel and pilgrimages date back to around 1430: about 30 parishes as far as a day’s march from Mafra organize themselves to participate in the annual pilgrimage in a fixed order. Unusually, the center of the procession focuses not on private matters like healthy children but on forming a religious community praying for an end to the plague or better harvests. During the procession, people carry wax torches, hence the term ”círio” (candle) for the participating communities.

The visible infrastructure developed between 1701 and 1770 — under the direction of royal architect João Antunes, initially the main part of the church, later accommodations and shops, then a vegetable garden, and in preparation for a royal visit, the aqueduct with a water house. The church is typical Baroque style focusing on Saint Anthony of Padua from Lisbon, with a high altar for the king. The accommodations are a deteriorating prime spot for large investors who, as of 2023, are not allowed to build a hotel. The agricultural lands have been revived with an impressive sheep herd. From the small opera house, donated by the ”candle of Lisbon,” a legacy remains: classical concerts are held in the summer.

 

 

For they know not what they paint: the wall paintings in the chapel narrate the story of Mary on the mule. Today, this ceramic comic is considered the oldest illustration of dinosaur fossils worldwide.

 

 

Visitors can sense the former significance and a tangible magic. The cliffs’ allure seems magical for tourists, though strong winds from the wrong direction can make it treacherous. The café on the corner is great, sometimes you can visit the lighthouse, and there's a rarely visited lost place nearby.