The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) identifies intangible cultural heritage as the "non-physical traditions and practices that are performed by a people". As part of a country's cultural heritage, they include celebrations, festivals, performances, oral traditions, music, and the making of handicrafts. The "intangible cultural heritage" is defined by the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, drafted in 2003 and took effect in 2006. Inscription of new heritage elements on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists is determined by the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, an organisation established by the convention.

Portugal ratified the convention on 21 May 2008. It registered its first element on the representative list in 2011.

Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Representative List Name Image Year No. Description Fado, urban popular song of Portugal 2011 00563 Fado is a music genre which can be traced to the 1820s in Lisbon, but probably has much earlier origins. Mediterranean diet + 2013 00884 The Mediterranean diet is the traditional food and methods of preparation used by the people of the Mediterranean basin, as well as everything related to it. Cante Alentejano, polyphonic singing from Alentejo, southern Portugal 2014 01007 Cante Alentejano is a music genre based on vocal music without instrumentation from the Alentejo region. Craftmanship of Estremoz clay figures 2017 01279 The Craftsmanship of Clay Figures in Estremoz involves a production process lasting several days. Winter festivities, Carnival of Podence 2019 01463 Carnival in Podence. Community festivities in Campo Maior 2021 01604 A recurring festival Festas do Povo includes the ornamentation of the streets of Campo Maior with paper flowers and other decorations. Falconry, a living human heritage + 2021 01708 Equestrian art in Portugal 2024 02079

Good Safeguarding Practices Name Year No. Description Portuguese-Galician border ICH: a safeguarding model created by Ponte...nas ondas! + 2022 01848 The Ponte...nas ondas! (PNO!) is a project to safeguard intangible cultural heritage on the Portuguese-Galician border that began in the municipalities of Salvaterra de Miño (Pontevedra, Spain) and Monção (Viana do Castelo, Portugal).

Elements in Need of Urgent Safeguarding Name Image Year No. Description Manufacture of cowbells 2015 01065 The Portuguese cowbell is an idiophone percussion instrument with a single internal clapper, usually hung on a leather strap around an animal's neck. Bisalhães black pottery manufacturing process 2016 01199 Bisalhães (Vila Real) in Portugal is known as 'the land of pot and pan producers' or more specifically, where black pottery is made. Moliceiro boat: naval carpentry art of the Aveiro region 2025 01199 The Moliceiro boat is a traditional wooden vessel originally designed for harvesting aquatic plants in the Aveiro region.

See also List of World Heritage Sites in Portugal

Notes

References

External links UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Official site UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in Portugal: Official site