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Tchiloli and the Trial of the Emperor’s Son

In short: In the open-air theatre of São Tomé, the emperor’s son stands trial in public.

Tchiloli and the Trial of the Emperor’s Son · A courtroom in the open air FAIRY TALE ATLAS · № 203 Tchiloli and the Trial of the Emperor’s Son In the open-air theatre of São Tomé, the emperor’s son stands trial in public. Origin São Tomé’s open-air theatre tradition, Tchiloli, keeps Baltasar Dias’s Portuguese play alive in a local performance tradition. 2025 dates the UNESCO inscription. Atlas record 1789 First appearance Exact date unknown SIGNATURE MOTIF A courtroom in the open air Reach¹ 2/10 Suggested age² 8+ Member rating No votes yet 2 records · 2 countries or regions blackhorsestories.com

¹ Based on the number of Atlas countries, capped at 10. ² Editorial suggestion for reading this page. Discover Black Horse’s question

Origin and tradition

São Tomé’s open-air theatre tradition, Tchiloli, keeps Baltasar Dias’s Portuguese play alive in a local performance tradition. 2025 dates the UNESCO inscription.

In Tchiloli, spectators watch a murder trial and join the performance through their reactions. Flutes, drums and maracas mark changes of scene. The Portuguese printed play tells the story of the Marquis of Mantua. The UNESCO record shows how the trial lives on in São Tomé’s open-air performances.

Dated records and sources

  1. 1789 · Lisbon, Portugal
    Baltasar Dias · Marquez de Mantua · Lisbon edition, Francisco Borges de Sousa
  2. 2025 · São Tomé Island
    UNESCO · Tchiloli · Representative List, file 02309 · Heritage listing

Country pages

Origin
Black Horse. Tchiloli and the Trial of the Emperor’s Son. https://blackhorsestories.com/en/atlas-tale-tchiloli-trial/