Conventual and regional sweets, eroticism and religion, the ingredients that make this temporary exhibition at the Museum of Lisbon – Santo António one of the most interesting we’ve been to in recent times.
“When the Body Makes It Sweet” is an irresistible exhibition, in the truest sense of the word, so much so that we stayed there for over two hours, chatting with the curator of this sweet exhibition, Paula Barata Dias, with whom we had the privilege of a very interesting guided tour full of curiosities (we even discussed whether the true origin of the Pastéis de Belém was in the Jerónimos Monastery?!).
Eroticism and tradition at the Lisbon Museum
The new exhibition, which will run until August 10, has the power to awaken all our senses, presenting traditional Portuguese sweets, while at the same time provoking various emotions through these desserts full of symbolism, most of them Christian.
There you’ll find more than 30 examples of fine popular sweets, many of them from Coimbra, but also from other parts of Portugal such as the Azores and Madeira.
Among those that may provoke the most reactions are sweets with daring names, as well as those with daring anatomical shapes, all of them with spicy stories that cross spirituality with secular traditions.
“Maminhas de Freira”, “Beijinhos”, “Pirilau de Frei Ambrósio”, “Pitos e Ganchas” or “Barriga de Freira” reveal humorous and creative stories, as well as the irreverence of our country’s food culture, which is still maintained today.
The recipes you’ll find here mix simple ingredients – most of them egg-based – with complex symbolisms that you may not be aware of, but which you’ll see revealed here, making this exhibition unique and very peculiar.
The innovative curatorship of Paula Barata Dias, a specialist in religiosity and food, offers an in-depth look at the symbolism of food in Portugal, who has stated that
To eat these sweets is to participate with God in the creation of the world.”
Special free program for everyone
This is a delicious opportunity to immerse yourself in the sugary and irreverent universe of our confectionery heritage.
The exhibition “When the Body Makes It Sweet” also includes:
- themed talks (July 17 and 31, at 18:30);
- the launch of a special catalog (July 24).
Address: Largo de Santo António da Sé 22 (Lisbon Museum – Santo António)
Opening hours: until July 31, from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; from August 1 to 10, from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tickets: €3
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