AFRLAE

Category: Civil Architecture > Museum

District: Leiria > Leiria > Leiria > Urbanização Fonte de Santo António

Location

The AFRLAE headquarters is located in the Fonte de Santo António Urbanization, an area integrated within the city of Leiria. Situated on Calçada da Fonte, Barreira, this location places the association within an urban context characteristic of the locality of Leiria, in its namesake municipality. The urbanization offers a residential setting, with accesses that allow for a natural connection to the surrounding urban fabric.

The Guardian of Popular Memory

AFRLAE, or the Folkloric Association of the Leiria Region, Alta Estremadura, plays a fundamental role in preserving and disseminating the region's most genuine traditions. It is not a physical space for conventional visits, but rather a central entity in safeguarding folklore and ethnography. Its mission encompasses the careful collection and sharing of the vast cultural heritage that defines the people of Alta Estremadura. Through its work, it keeps alive the essence of popular manifestations, from dances and songs to the attire and customs that have shaped the local identity throughout time.

The Root of Regional Culture

This association was founded in 1993, initially as a federation dedicated to the folk dance groups of the municipality of Leiria, at the initiative of various groups committed to preserving their legacy. The recognition of its success and the desire to cover a broader territory led to its restructuring in 1997. Since then, it has adopted its current name, expanding its scope to the entire ethnographic region of Alta Estremadura, which comprises the district of Leiria and the municipality of Ourém. This evolution reflects its growing importance as a link between the various groups dedicated to collecting and representing the customs and traditions of this vast geographical area.

The Value of Intangible Heritage

AFRLAE's focus lies in valuing intangible cultural heritage, a treasure manifested in oral traditions, social practices, rituals, and knowledge. The association acts as a pillar of support for the approximately fifty folk groups it represents, fostering the continuity of cultural manifestations of collective interest. Its existence ensures that future generations can continue to connect with the roots of their identity, through the maintenance of songs, dance steps, and narratives that tell the story of local communities. It is, therefore, a point of reference for understanding the region's cultural richness.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt