A Casa dos Fantasmas - Volume II Episodio do Tempo dos Francezes

The story opens amid a thunderous September in Lisbon, where the city’s most solemn religious rite – the procession of the Body of Christ – has become a dazzling public spectacle. Families spend weeks preparing elaborate costumes, sparkling jewelry, and tables laden with exotic foods, while the streets fill with rival guilds displaying towering wooden giants, silk‑covered banners, and music that blurs the line between sacred chant and raucous carnival. The narrator captures the electric atmosphere of a society where devotion and vanity intertwine, offering a vivid portrait of everyday life in an era of grand pageantry.

Against this backdrop, King João V, “the Portuguese Solomon,” commissions an even more extravagant celebration, prompting craftsmen, tailors, and merchants to outdo one another in a relentless contest of artistry and excess. Their competing creations turn the procession into a moving tapestry of color, sound, and ambition, reflecting both personal pride and the nation’s yearning for splendor.

Through careful observation, the narrative hints at hidden tensions beneath the glittering facade, setting the stage for a tale that weaves history, folklore, and the lingering echo of unseen presences within the famed House of Ghosts.