Festa do Pau da Bandeira in Santo Antônio - Barbalha - CE
The Festa do Pau da Bandeira de Santo Antônio has been held in the city of Barbalha, in the interior of Ceará, for over a century. The program reveals from the preparations, with the cutting of the tree that is carried from the rural zora to the city center annually, in commemoration of the patron saint of the city. It also investigates the origins of the strong religiosity of this region of Sertão do Cariri, which also involves secular practices of how groups of penitents
and incelencias, revealing the social and cultural origins of this manifestation,
in addition to showing the close relationship between the traditional groups of Cariri popular culture
such as the cabaçais bands, the groups of reisados, the maneiro pau and several others in the region with this festival and its religiosity.
Barbalha is a municipality in the State of Ceará, with just over 60 thousand inhabitants. The original name of the city was Freguesia do Santo Antônio de Barbalha, in allusion to the patron saint of the city. In 1876 it was elevated to the category of city.
Located in Chapada do Araripe, Barbalha stands out in the region for having a vast and preserved architectural site composed of several public and private buildings, which attracts scholars and those interested in historical tourism. With about 40 buildings, the houses in the Historic Center of Barbalha are characterized by the architecture of the imperial period with buildings built in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Considered to be one of the greatest granaries of popular culture in the interior of Brazil, it attracts thousands of tourists every year during the festivities of the patron saint Santo Antônio. There are several folkloric groups and June festivities made up of citizens from different rural communities and neighborhoods in the city. An important point to emphasize in the cultural and religious context of Barbalho is the Grupo dos Penitentes, a religious and cultural manifestation. Other strong traditions are the Reisado and the Pífano bands. Another highlight is the studio of Mestre Espedito Celeiro, a leather artisan from the region, located in the city of Nova Olinda.
It has a vast rural area, which has several communities that basically live on agriculture, especially the rural corridor that runs from Sítio Vem-ver to the district of Estrela, where most of the sugarcane mills are concentrated. The visit to the sugar mills and the opportunity to get to know and taste the typical sweet of the city as it is being made, which attracts many people to the farms, especially entourages of pilgrims, who come from neighboring Juazeiro do Norte, which is 13, 4 km, in times when religious pilgrimage reaches its peak.
Balneário do Caldas is a hydromineral resort in the municipality that has two natural springs, the holes (Bom Jesus and João Coêlho), recommended for the practice of balneotherapy. In addition to the fountains, the resort has pools of still and running water, spouts and a waterfall. The place also has sports courts, restaurants, changing rooms, a first-aid point and several spaces for picnics and rest.
Another highlight is the Parque do Araripe National Forest, created in 1946, one of the richest forests in terms of environmental diversity, with Atlantic Forest, caatinga and savannah vegetation. of the Americas, recognized by UNESCO.
How to get:
From Juazeiro do Norte Airport, 13 km away from the city, which has daily flights to and from São Paulo(SP), Campinas(SP), Recife(PE) and Fortaleza(CE), and Petrolina(PE).
With a distance of 504 km from Fortaleza, its neighboring municipalities are Crato, Juazeiro do Norte (CE), Jardim (CE), Moreilândia (PE) and Missão Velha (CE).
Arrival via the CE-292, CE 293 and CE 60 highways. The bus terminal has state and interstate routes .