Cultural heritage
Classified as a Village of Portugal, as a Cultural Heritage property, it has the Mother Church and its estate, the fountain, the Diving fountain and the Casa do Careto. As Natural Heritage, it is included in the Protected Landscape of Albufeira do Azibo, which invites you to bathe, participate in radical activities and rest. In Podence, the Winter Festivities, Carnival of Podence were classified as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, where the Caretos preserve the specificity of living in Trás-os-Montes and is today one of the last strongholds of an endangered way of life. The Caretos take to the streets, jumping and running, masked characters in suits filled with colored wool fringes, tin or leather masks and rattles around their waists. Careto is known for its performative behavior, “the rattles” that women are mainly targeted, a symbolic act that refers to a remote origin and a possible connection to ancient agrarian and fertility rituals.