The city of Porto decks out to honour Saint Bartholomew in Foz

Crowds lined the streets this Sunday in Foz, in Porto, to honour St Bartholomew, the Patron Saint of great miracles and, as is tradition in the Foz do Douro, there was a costume parade entirely made of paper.

A sea of people gathered in Foz to watch Marilyn Monroe, Freddy Mercury, Charlie Chaplin, Napoleon Bonaparte and his troops, who paraded to the enjoyment of the crowd.

This artistic heritage ends up with all participants literally jumping into the sea in order to wash away all ills.

This event gathers thousands of revellers in a colourful and joyful atmosphere.

The parade departs from the Cantareira area, to the tune of the local Brass Band Foz do Douro, all the way through Passeio Alegre, Foz Velha, some areas of Avenida Brasil, the Coronel Raúl Peres and São Bartholomew streets and then to the ocean, at Praia do Ourigo.

The preparation of the costume parade involves the work of hundreds of people from local communities.