Equestrian Art in Portugal declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO

The decision was approved at the 19th meeting of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, held in Asunción, Paraguay, between 2 and 7 December 2024.

Portuguese equestrian art combines functionality and aesthetics, emphasising harmony and respect between rider and horse, with an emphasis on communication and collaboration without the use of force. 

It is practised by people of all ages in riding schools and equestrian centres, and promoted by livestock breeders and keepers, veterinarians and artisans, both nationally and internationally.

This practice, which is important for collective identity, is celebrated at pilgrimages, fairs and social events, and is supported by the Lusitano Horse Association, the Golegã Municipality and Parques de Sintra, Monte da Lua, S.A., which manages the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art. The award of the classification is the result of a process that began in 2015, developed in partnership between these organisations and which, since 2021, has been included in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

With this recognition, Equestrian Art in Portugal becomes the 11th Portuguese element recognised under the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, joining the list of a wide range of Portuguese cultural manifestations, such as fado, the Mediterranean diet, cante alentejano, Carnival in Podence, falconry, festivals of the people of Campo Maior, the manufacture of rattles, the making of figurines from Estremoz clay, among others.