GALHOFA

The village of Grijó de Parada, a rural community of just 248 inhabitants, preserves one of Portugal’s oldest living traditions: Galhofa, the country’s only hand-to-hand combat rooted in popular culture. This ritual, which once crowned the village’s hero, is now on the brink of extinction, as depopulation continues to hollow out the region. It may be one of the last Galhofas ever recorded.