Casais Gibraltar Ltd’s Health and Safety Officer, Bruno Ferreira has provided insight into the tradition of placing an olive branch at the top of a building, just like what recently happened at Arengo’s Palace Car Park.

This tradition is ancient in Portugal, referring to its origin to the late 19th Century.

Its definition is below, with the original name in Portuguese;

“PAU-DE-FILEIRA - An endangered tradition, is the ritual of the «Pau-de-fileira», ie, the placement of the beams of the roof of a new building.

It was a day of celebration for masons and laborers, which was associated with the carpenter. In every corner of the house they put up a mast with flag, adorned with greenery.

There was a binge, with roasted lamb or pork, and in the final the charge of the work give always a “speech”, extolling the virtues of construction and appealing to the sense of unity and camaraderie.

The men danced and sang verses festive and exalting the work and the project owner.”