“If This Street Were Mine” brings three days of culture and heritage to Rua da Sofia

From October 16 to 18, the Coimbra City Council is hosting three days of free cultural events on Rua da Sofia, featuring music, guided tours, heritage activities, and the Guitarrinho Festival. The initiative “If This Street Were Mine” brings local groups and associations out onto the street and into several of its buildings, through a program developed in collaboration with cultural organizations and the entities responsible for heritage sites, aiming to enhance the experience of this historic area and bring the public closer to its heritage.

The program was organized by the Municipality of Coimbra in collaboration with institutions located on or connected to Rua da Sofia, as well as with the city’s cultural and community organizations. The program combines musical and performing arts with the built heritage, integrating different spaces along the street into the initiative itself.

The program takes place on public streets and at venues such as the Palace of Justice, the Sofia Shopping Center, the Carmo Church, and the Coimbra chapter of the League of Combatants. All activities are free.

Music kicks off the program on Friday

The event begins on Friday, October 16, at 5:00 p.m., with the Fado Group from the Antigos Orfeonistas Music School on Rua da Sofia. At 5:30 p.m., Rebimbómalho—the Drum and Bagpipe Ensemble of the Ateneu de Coimbra—will parade down the street, passing by the Sofia Shopping Center, where, at 6:00 p.m., the Advocal Choir will perform “Uma Rosa para Coimbra.”

On Saturday, October 17, the city’s heritage takes center stage. The first guided tour of Rua da Sofia departs from City Hall at 10:00 a.m. This will be followed, at 11:30 a.m., by a tour from the Palace of Justice to City Hall, and, in the afternoon, additional tours between the two buildings at 3:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. The guided tours are led by experts from the Coimbra City Council’s Museology Division; participation is free and no prior registration is required.

Saturday’s musical program also includes, at 4:00 p.m., a performance by the Fadvocal Fado Group, from the Coimbra Artistic and Judicial Association, in the atrium of the Palace of Justice. At 6:00 p.m., the Coimbra Ateneu Choir invites the BAIXaVOZ Choir, from the Há Baixa Association, for a performance on Rua da Sofia.

Guitarrinho Festival Part of Sunday’s Program

On Sunday, October 18, the event will feature the Guitarrinho Festival, organized by the Mus.Mus Association, which is based on Rua da Sofia itself.

The program takes place at the Coimbra branch of the League of Combatants and begins at 3:00 p.m. with a visit to the Escola de Violeiros. At 3:30 p.m., there will be an open guitarrinho class led by José Rebola, followed by talks by Eduardo Baltar Soares at 4:30 p.m. and Felipe Barão at 5:00 p.m. Duarte Monteiro will present a mini-concert featuring the guitarrinho at 5:30 p.m.

The program concludes at 6:00 p.m. at the Carmo Church with the D. Pedro de Cristo – Cultural Association, which will present the “Concert for the Victims of Human Trafficking,” marking the European Day Against Human Trafficking.

With “Se Esta Rua Fosse Minha,” the City Council seeks to highlight and revitalize Rua da Sofia through cultural programming, involving local organizations and bringing the public closer to the spaces and history of this area of Coimbra. Since 2013, Rua da Sofia has been part of the “University of Coimbra, Alta, and Sofia” complex, which is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.