Festa do Divino and Cavalhadas
Traditions · Pirenópolis, Brésil
The festival
In Pirenópolis, the colonial city of Goiás, the feast of Divino Espírito Santo, celebrated since 1819 and classified as Brazilian heritage, spreads almost a month of joy: Folia as early as May 1, novena, and then on Sunday of Pentecost, fallen on May 24 in 2026, the Imperador du Divino, drawn by lot, receives his crown. In its streets parade masked and costumed mascarados.
But the nail is the Cavalhadas: from May 24 to 26, 2026 — the year of the bicentenary of their creation in 1826 — horsemen in armor re-entrapped the medieval battles of the Moors and Christians, a direct legacy of the festivals of colonial Portugal, in an arena where the whole city is rushing.
Good to know
2026 marked the bicentenary of the Cavalhadas (1826); the feast of the Divino dates back to 1819.