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GET TO KNOW POCONÉ - MATO GROSSO
Located 100 km from Cuiabá, Poconé is a historic city. Founded in 1777, the municipality of 30 thousand inhabitants. A hospitable city that carries the custom of chairs on the sidewalk demonstrates the tradition of a people who value their culture.
Poconé is also known internationally as “the gateway to the Pantanal”, as the Transpantaneira highway begins there.
This is the city, a mix of centuries-old traditions and natural attractions.
Approximately 80% of Poconé's territory is located in the North Pantanal. With the largest floodplain in the world, the Pantanal has an unparalleled biodiversity of plants, fish and birds. There are alligators, anacondas, blue macaws, deer, tapirs, capybaras, anteaters, emus and jaguars, in addition to hundreds of birds that have chosen the region as one of the most important in the world for their migratory routes.
This ecological paradise has its dry period between the months of May and September and the flood period from October to April. It is interesting to visit the Pantanal at any time of the year, as the alternation of water provides unique spectacles.
In Poconé there are two entrances to the Pantanal via the Porto Cercado Highway and the Transpantaneira park road, which leads to Porto Jofre. There are 145 km of unpaved road and 120 wooden and 2 concrete bridges. On this highway are the main tourist attractions of the Pantanal offered by the inns.
Discover the Cavalhada de Poconé
It is a cultural manifestation brought to Mato Grosso at the end of the 18th century, being especially widespread in Poconé. It is held together with the Feast of São Benedito, in the month of June.
The Cavalhada is a fictional battle, through equestrian competitions between the armies, Christian blue and Moorish red. An open-air show, where every detail, from the costumes to the scenery, surprises with its richness of detail. They are horses, knights, pages, a princess and a castle produced for a great event.
Cavalhada de Poconé is a festivity of Portuguese origin Cavalhada arrived in Mato Grosso in 1769, in celebration of the arrival of Luiz Pinto de Souza Coutinho, captain general and third governor of the capital of Mato Grosso, settling in the Pantanal municipality of Poconé.
The manifestation was absent from the Mato Grosso cultural scene for 35 years (from 56 to 90), but returned in 1991 with great vigor. And in this way, Cavalhada, the scene of fierce medieval tournaments in European arenas, gained prominence in the tradition and culture of Mato Grosso. The manifestation is commonly associated with famous episodes of history and universal literature, such as the Trojan War and The Crusades. Richly decorated horses and riders compete to the sound of a “box”. The Cavalhada takes place every year during the Feast of São Benedito, in June and in addition to the clash between the Moorish and Christian armies, the Cavalhada also has the Knights' Ball, the Illumination Festival (with fireworks), the Masked Dance, siriri and cururu and ends with a great popular show. Knights and pages with very rich clothes and adornments position themselves on their horses which, with unique adornment, are adorned with feathers, ribbons and bells. Then they enter the arena fighting to the sound of the "box", a peculiar percussion instrument, paced to the trot of horses and the tinkling of bells. Each army is composed of 12 gentlemen and their respective pages. The party begins with the entry of the Moorish army in red, and the Christian army in blue, then with the entry of the queen, and the maintainers (people who command the army), then the ambassador, then the flags of the Divine Holy Spirit and of Saint Benedict,
Masquerade Dance
It is a typical dance from the municipality that mixes European counter-dances, indigenous dances and Afro rhythms. Its greatest peculiarity is that it is danced exclusively by men, with half of them wearing male costumes and the other half female. The dancers cover their faces with colorful masks, and the colors of their clothes are vividly vibrant.
This dance is unlike any other performed in the country, its origin being mysterious even to the oldest Poconeans.
Interestingly, only men participate. Dressed in masks and colorful clothes, they are grouped in pairs, with half of the dancers wearing women's clothes..
The music played during the presentations is similar to that of bandstand bands, with instruments such as saxophone, tuba, pistons, cymbals and drums.
The main point of the dance is the braiding of ribbons.
The masks used are made with wire mesh and placed on a piece of wood for modeling. They are then given an ink bath.
Performed since 1915, the Dance of the Masked is considered one of the oldest cultural manifestations in Mato Grosso.
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