Sintra Municipality
Encyclopedia
Sintra (ˈsĩtɾɐ), located in the central Lisbon Region, is a municipality consisting of several civil parishes and two urbanized cities (Queluz
and Agualva-Cacém
) and known for many of its 19th century Romantic
architecture, which resulted in its classification as a UNESCO
World Heritage Site
. Although the built and natural heritage are the most visible faces of the historical individuality of Sintra, there is an entire literary heritage that has made this area a legendary reference in Portuguese culture.
. Comparable remnants were discovered in an open-air site in São Pedro de Canaferrim, alongside the chapel of the Castelo dos Mouros (Moorish Castle), date back to the Neolithic
, and include decorated ceramics and microlithic flint
utensils from the fifth century B.C. Probably, between the fourth and third millenia B.C., the region was occupied (adjacent to the actual village of Sintra
) by a Neolithic/Chalcolithic settlement, from the presence of ceramic fragments, whose characteristics were comparable to fortified settlements in Lisbon
and Setubal
, as well as many of the comparable late Chalcolithic vases that punctuated the Sintra mountains. The evidence discovered in Quinta das Sequoias and San Pedro de Canaferrim contrast dramatically with those remnants discovered in the walled town of Penha Verde and the funerary monument of Bella Vista. Traces of several Bronze Age
vestiges were also discovered in many places in the Sintra Mountains, including alongside the town, in the Monte do Sereno area, and a late Bronze Age settlement within the Moorish Castle dating to the 9th-6th century B.C. Relatively close, in Santa Eufémia da Serra, is an Iron Age
settlement, artifacts from indigenous tribes and peoples of Mediterranean origins (principally from the Punic period) were also discovered. These vestiges date to the early 4th century, prior to the Romanization of the peninsula which date, in the area of Foz do Tejo, to the middle of the 2nd century.
The close vicinity to a large commercial centre (Olissipo) founded by Turduli tribes
, in the first half of the first millennium A.D., meant that the region of Sintra was influenced by human settlement throughout various epochs, resulting in remnants and vestiges from these cultures. The toponymy
, Sintra, which derives from the medieval Suntria, and points to an association with radical Indo-European cultures; the word translates into bright star or sun, commonly used in their cultures. Marcus Terentius Varro
and Cadizian Lucio Junio Moderato Columela designated the place as Monte Sagrado (the sacred mountain); and Ptolomy referred to it as the Serra da Lua (mountains of the moon).
During the Roman occupation of the peninsula, the region of Sintra was part of the vast Civitas Olisiponense, which Cesar (around 49 B.C.), or more likely, Octavius (around 30 B.C.), issued the statute of Municipium Civium Romanorum. The various residents of the region were considered part of the Roman Galeria, and in the actual village of Sintra, there are actual Roman vestiges, presupposing a Roman presence from the 1st-2nd century B.C. to 5th century A.D. A similar roadway along the southeast part of the Sintra Mountains dates back to this period and connected to the main road to Olissipo. This via followed the current Rua da Ferraria, the Calçada dos Clérigos and the Calçada da Trindade. Following Roman habit of locating tombs along their roads and near their homes, there is also evidence of inscriptions pertaining to Roman funeral monuments, dating principally to the 2nd century.
It was during the Moorish occupation of Sintra that Greco-latin writers wrote of the explicit occupation of the area of the town centre. A description by the geographer Al-Bacr, described Sintra as "one of the towns that [are] dependent on Lisbon in Al-Andalus
, in the proximity to the sea", characterizing it as "permanently submersed in a fog that never dissipates".
During the Reconquista
(around the 9th century), its principal centre and castle were isolated by Christian armies. Following the fall of the Caliphate of Córdoba
, the King of Léon, Alfonso VIreceived in the spring of 1093, the cities of Santarém, Lisbon and the Castle of Sintra. This followed a period of internal instability within the Muslim taifa
s of the peninsula, and in particular the decision by the King of Badajoz, Umar ibn Muhammad al-Mutawakkil, who placed his territory under the protection (suzerainty
) of Alfonso VI from the Almoravid (after hesitating between 1090 and 1091). Afonso VI took the cities and castle of Sintra between 30 Abril and 8 May 1093, but Lisbon was, shortly after its transfer, conquered by the Almoravid, along with Sintra. Santarém was saved by Henry, Count of Portugal
, who Afonso VI nominated as Count of Portugal in 1096, to substitute Raymond of Burgandy.
reconquered the Castle of Sintra. This was preceded, a year before, by Prince Sigurd the Crusader, son of Magnus III of Norway
, who attempted to capture the Castle from the Moors in the course of his trek to the Holy Land
. Sigurd's forces disembarked at the mouth of the Colares River but failed to take the castle. It was only after the conquest of Lisbon, in October 1147, by Afonso Henriques (and supported by Crusaders
), that the castle surrendered in November. It was integrated into Christian dominions along with Almada and Palmela after their surrender, Afonso Henriques estabalished the Church of São Pedro de Canaferrim, within the walls of the Moorish Castle to mark his success.
On 9 January 1154, Afonso Henriques signed a foral
(charter) for the town of Sintra, with all its respective regalia. The charter established the municipality of Sintra, whose territory encompassed a large area, that was eventually divided into four great parishes: São Pedro de Canaferrim (its seat in the castle); São Martinho (its seat in the town of Sintra); Santa Maria; and São Miguel (whose seat was in the ecclesiastical seat of Arrabalde). The early municipal seat, the town of Sintra, was the centre of a significant Sephardic community, with a synagogue and quarter. This was not only limited to Sintra town, but enclaves existed in Colares, referred during the reign of King Denis
, but were heavily pressured by the influx of Christian serfs. Throughout the 12 and 13th century, owing to the fertile lands, various convents and monasteries, in addition to military orders, constructed residences, estates, water-mills and vineyards. There are municipal records during this period of a number of donations/grants; between 1157 and 1158, Afonso Henriques donated to the master of Knights Templar
, Gualdim Pais
, various houses and estates in the centre of Sintra. In 1210, the Monastery of Santa Cruz inCoimbra
, acquired four houses in Pocilgais, releasing them in 1230, while in 1264, it controlled the homes and vineyards in Almargem. The Monastery of São Vicente de Fora
(Lisbon), in 1216, also held a vineyard in Colares and, in 1218, estates in Queluz and Barota. Sometime between 1223 and 1245, the Monastery of Santa Maria de Alcobaça possessed various privileges in the territory. The military Order of Santiago
held in 1260 a estate in Arrifana. Many of Afonso Henriques' donations between 12th and 13th century, including privileges assigned to these institutions, were confirmed in 1189 by his son, Sancho I
(1185-1211), corresponding to a social, political and economic strategy during the post-Reconquista
era. Consequently, after 1261, Sintra had a local administration consisting of an alcalde
representing the Crown, and two local judges, elected by the public. During the political conflict between King Sancho II
(1223-1248) and the Church, the churches of São Pedro and São Martinho, which belonged to the King, were ceded to the Bishop of Lisbon and Sé. Yet, the Crown's patrimony was defined early: in 1287, King Denis donated to Queen Elizabeth of Aragon
the town, the signeurial holdings and all associated benefits inherent with those privileges. Later, these lands were transferred to the young Infante Afonso
(later King Afonso IV), and remained in his possession until 1334, before reverting to the Queen's possessions .
The Black Death
arrived in Sintra around the 14th century; in 1350, the disease caused the death of five municipal scribes. Owing to the cooler climate and humidity, it is likely that the conditions were favourable for the rapid propagation of the disease, resulting in far greater numbers of deaths.
During the reign of King Ferdinand
(1367-1383), Sintra played a part in the controversial marriage of the monarch with Dona
Leonor Telles de Menezes
. In 1374, the King donated Sintra to the Lady Teles, with whom he eventually married, in secret, in the north of the country. The King conceded along with Sintra, the municipalities of Vila Viçosa, Abrantes and Almada, to the consternation of his private counsel; following one of these confrontations, the King abandoned his duties, and travelled to Sintra, where he remained for a month, on the pretense of hunting. Being located relatively close to Lisbon, many of its people were called to work on projects for the Crown in the capital: in 1373, King Ferdinand
decided to wall the city, and request funds or workers from lands along the sea in Almada, Sesimbra, Palmela, Setúbal, Coina, Benavente and Samora Correia, as well as all of the Ribatejo
; and from the interior places of Sintra, Cascais, Torres Vedras, Alenquer, Arruda, Atouguia, Lourinhã, Telheiros and Mafra. During the Dynastic Crisis
(between 1383-1385), Sintra supported Leonor Teles, who supported the proclamation of her daughter, Beatrice
, who married John I of Castile
, as Queen of Portugal and of Castile. After the defeat of the Castelian army at Aljubarrota
(August 1385) by Portuguese and English troops, commanded by Nuno Álvares Pereira
, Sintra became one of the last places to surrender to the Master of Aviz, later King of Portugal (after 1383). John
(1385-1433), first King of the second dynasty, broke the tradition of transfering Sintra to the Casa da Rainha (Queen's property). Likely around 1383, John I granted the lands of Sintra to Count Henrique Manuel de Vilhena, which he quickly revoked after Henrique took the Infanta's side during the dynastic quarrel. Sintra, therefore, continued to be a possession of the King, who expanded the local estate. Until the end of the 17th century, the royal palace constituted one of the principal residences and summer estates of the court: it was from this estate that John decided to conquer Ceuta
(1415); King Afonso V
was born and died at the palace (1433-1481); and King John II
was acclaimed sovereign (1481-1495).
In a document issued by King Edward (1433-1438), the region was described (in 1435) as: "A land of good air and water and of the Comarcas with an abundance in the sea and land, and because our most loyal city of Lisbon, being so near, and being in it sufficient diversions, and the distractions of the mountains and hunting...".
During the Portuguese
Age of Discovery
, several people born in Sintra were written into history: Gonçalo de Sintra, squire in the House of the Infante Henry (who was sent by the royal in 1443, as captain of a caravel to the coast of Africa), explored the region near the Ouro River and eventually died there in 1444. It was Pedro de Sintra and Soeiro da Costa that who later mapped the maximum extent of the Atlantic coast of Africa, on the date of Henry's death (1460).
The importance of Sintra on official itineraries lead, at the end of the 15th century, Queen Leonor of Viseu
(wife of King John II
), then principal benefactor of the Portuguese Misericóridas, expanded her principal institutions in Sintra. The Hospital e Gafaria do Espírito Santo, the only remnant of which left standing is a chapel to São Lázaro, was constructed to provide assistance and support to lepers in the region (the chapel still includes the signets of King John, the pelican, and Queen Leonor, the shrimp). In 1545, the Hospital was transfered to the administration of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia of Sintra which was instituted by QueenCatherine of Austria, wife of John III
.
King Manuel I
(1495 - 1521), enjoyed spending his summers in Sintra, due to its cool climate and abundance of hunt; as Damião de Góis
, his chronicler noted: "because its one of the places in Europe that is cooler, and cheerful for whichever King, Prince or Master, to pass there time, because, in addition to its good airs, that cross its mountains, called by the older peoples the promontory of the moon, there is it her much hunting of deer and other animals, and overall many and many good trout of many type, and in which in all of Hispania there can be found, and many springs of water...". Between the 15th and 16th century, the King transformed and enriched the town and its region, with several public works, after he travelled to Kingdom of Castile
and the Kingdom of Aragon
, when he was being considered the heir to the Kingdoms (1498). These included the reconstruction of the old Gothic Church of São Martinho, the construction of the Monastery of Nossa Senhora da Pena (1511) on the highest peak in the Sintra Mountains, which he then transferred title to the Order of Saint Jerome
. In the second half of the 16th century, Sintra was a centre of cortesans, and members of the aristocracy began building estates and farms within the region. In this rural environment the Viceroy of India, D.
João de Castro
(1500-1548), after 1542, began to reside at Quinta da Penha Verde, where he collected artistic examples of the Portuguese culture of the time, including works by celebrated artist Francisco de Holanda
. It was during this cultural Renaissance that the marble chancel
, sculpted by Nicolau Chanterene
between 1529 and 1532 for the chapel of the Monastery of Nossa Senhora da Pena was completed, as was the portico of the Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição da Ulgueira (1560).
Luís de Camões
(1524-1580) referred to the mountains of Sintra in his Os Lusíadas
chronicle, as a mythic land, subjugated by the water nymph
s. The Renaissance poet Luisa Sigea—Syntrae Aloisiae Sygeae in Paris (1566) and Madrid (1781) referred to Sintra as a "pleasent valley, between cliffs that rise into the heavens, is curved in graceful hills among whom one can feel the murmur of the waters...[where] everything, in fact, will enchant and perfume the environment with its fragrance and fruit."
With the death of the Cardinal-King Henry (1578-1580), Phillip II of Spain inherited the Kingdom of Portugal, which remained in Spain's possession until 1640. During this period, Portuguese political power moved from Sintra to Vila Viçosa, principal centre of the House of Braganza
, whose dukes, descendents of John of Portugal
, were heirs to the throne of Portugal. Following the decision of the Cortes of Tomar in 1590, Phillip, as King of Portugal, respected local administration composed of the Portuguese aristocracy, and passed through Sintra (around October 1581), visiting the monasteries and churches. It was also during this period that cult of Sebastanism, the hope of the return of King Sebastian
, came to an end, when several fake "Sebastians" were denounced. It was the case, in 1585, of Mateus Alvares, born on the island ofTerceira (in the Azores
) and guardian of the hermitage of São Julio, who passed himself off as King Sebastian, and created conflict in Sintra, Madra, Rio de Mouro and Ericeira. The Sebastian adventure ended with the hanging of thirty people and the suffering of many more. It was not surprising, therefore, that the visit in 1619, by King Phillip IV of Spain (Phillip III of Portugal)
resulted in the escape to the hills of many families. During thisunion
(1580-1640), Sintra was a privileged place for Portuguese "exiles" from the Castilian court; nobles who wished to distance themselves from Spanish nobility would purchase lands in the region, away from the intrigues of court. At the time of the Restoration, in 1639, the municipality had approximately 4000 residents.
The battles with Spain (1640-1668), the affirmation of Mafra during the reign of John V of Portugal (1706-1750) through the construction of the Palace-Convent
, and later the construction of Royal Palace of Queluz
(in 1747) during the reigns of Joseph I of Portugal (1750-1777) and Maria I of Portugal
(1777-1816), helped to diminish the visits to the region. During this era, there were only two documented visits: in 1652 and 1654, respectively, during the visit of Queen Luísa de Gusmão and King John IV of Portugal
(1640-1656); and the final burial of King Afonso VI.
Alleging the mental insanity of the King, and the incapacity of the heir, the Duke of Cadaval and the Infante Peter, lead a coup d'état
in 1667, which resulted in the resignation of the Count of Castelo-Melhor, Minister of King Afonso VI (1656-1633) and the imprisonment of the monarch. The Cortes of Lisbon in 1668, confirmed the Infante Peter, brother of the king, as regent and heir. Afonso VI lived the rest of his life imprisoned, in the Paço da Ribeira (1667-1669), in the Fort of São João Baptista in Angra
, in the Azores
(1669-1674) and, in the end, with the discovery of a conspiracy to kill the regent, in the Paço da Vila in Sintra (1674-1683).
Between the 17th and 18th century, the region was centre of contemplative religious orders, who established convents in Sintra. But it continued to remain a place of myths, with a large, mysterious forest, and macabre, gloomy spaces that affected the brave kings. Father Baião, in his Portugal Cuidadoso (1724) noted: "Next to the Palace of Sintra was a forest, so thick, that during the day, it cast fear in he who entered it. And [King] D. Sebastian
, was free from these fears, that he would walk a night through it many times for two or three hours." Sintra became known as a nostalic and mysterious route defined by many foreigners, starting in the second half of the 18th century and lasting through the 19th century; it was the Romantic
Glorioso Eden of Lord Byron; the pleasent resort of Almeida Garrett
; the "nest of lovers [where in] the romantic foliage, the nobles abandoned themselves in the hands of the poets", as Eça de Queiróz opined; or the stop, where Richard Strauss saw a garden "comparable to Italy, Sicilly, Greece or Egypt, a true garden of Klingsor, and there in the heights, a castle of the Holy Grail".
The 1755 Lisbon earthquake
, meanwhile, caused the destruction in the centre of Sintra, in addition to deaths, resulting in construction and restoration during the second half of 18th century.
Still in the 18th century, the first industrial building was established in the municipality: the Fábrica de Estamparia de Rio de Mouro (Mouro River Stamping Factory) in 1778.
The visit of Queen Maria I
in 1787, caused the restoration and redecoration of a few salons and chambers in the municipal buildings. But, the great festivals, in 1795, resulting from the baptism of the Infante António, son of John VI
, resulted in grande balls at the Palace of Queluz
. The King-Consort, Ferdinand II
bought the Monastery of Nossa Senhora da Pena, and a vast area adjacent (in 1838) who he commissioned the architect José de Costa e Silva, to construct the arch joining the two quarters of the Seteais Palace
(owned by the Marquess of Marialva), to commemorate in 1802, the visit the princes of Brazil, the InfanteJoão and Carlota Joaquina, and later the their son, the absolutist King Miguel
, in 1830.
During the third quart of the 18th century, and practically all of the 19th century, the Romanticism
of foreign travellers and Portuguese aristocrats rediscovered the magic of Sintra and its places, overall in the exoticism in its landscape and climate. In the summer of 1787, William Beckford
stayed with the Marquess of Marialva, master of the horse
for the kingdom, at his residence of Seteais. Princess Carlota Joaquina, wife of the Regent John
, bought, at the beginning of the 19th century, the estate and Palace of Ramalhão. Between 1791 and 1793, Gerard Devisme constructed on his extensive estate, a Neo-Gothic mansion in the Quinta de Monserrate (later becoming known as the Monserrate Palace
). Beckford, who remained in Sintra, rented the property from Devisme in 1794. The landscape, covered in fog, also attracted another Englishman, Francis Cook
, who occuped the estate, constructing an oriental pavillion.
The Palace of Pena
, the exemplar Portuguese Romantic symbol of Sintra, was initiated by the King-Consort Ferdinand
, husband of Queen Maria of Portugal (1834-1853), a German-born member of the House of Saxe-Cobourg-Gotha. The Palace was constructed over the remains of the old monastery of the Order of Saint Jerome in the 16th century, conserving many of the fundamental aspects, including the church, cloister and a few dependencies. The architecture is an eclectic design, influenced by many architectural styles. The design was a project of the Baron von Eschwege and Ferdinand II, to substitute the Sintra National Palace
as a summer residence, and alternate destination to the summer residence in Cascais. After Sintra, in the months of September and October, the monarchs Louis of Portugal (1861-1889) and Carlos of Portugal ended their summers with visits to Cascais.
In 1854, the first contract was signed to construct a raillink to connect Sintra to Lisbon. A decree, signed on 26 June 1855, regulated the contract between the government and Count Claranges Lucotte, which was later rescinded in 1861. The final connect was finally inaugurated on 2 April 1887.
By the beginning of the 20th century, Sintra was recognized as a summer place, visited by aristocrats and millionaires. Among these, Carvalho Monteiro, owner of a considerable fortune (known as "Monteiro dos Milhões") constructed, near the main town on an estate he bought from the Baroness of Regaleira, a luxurious revivalist palacette, based on a Neo-Manueline architecture.
Between the second half of the 19th century, and the first decades of the 20th century, Sintra turned into a privileged place for artists: musicians, such as Viana da Mota; composers, such as Alfredo Keil
; painters, like Cristino da Silva (the author of one of the most celebrated canvases of Portuguese Romantic art, "Cinco Artistas em Sintra"); writers, such as Eça de Queiróz or Ramalho Ortigão
, all these people resided, worked or obtained inspiration from the Sintran landscapes.
for the benefit of a simple expansion of the road. The first decades of the 20th century represents the most rapid urbanization of the municipality, supported by its rail-link to Lisbon, and summer travellers.
The attack on patrimony lead to the creation of institutions, in the second half of the 20th century, to study and protect the vast artistic patrimony during the 1920s. The Instituto Histórico de Sintra (Historic Institute of Sintra), under the direction of Afonso de Ornelas, had an important part to play in this period. Archaeological studies resulted in considerable development: in 1927, Félix Alves Pereira rediscovered the Neolithic settlements of Santa Eufémia, and the first publication of the discoveries at the prehistoric monuments of Praia das Maçãs were completed in 1929. From this period, until the 1970s, coastal Sintra began to become a summer destination, resulting in the construction of Portuguese summer homes. In this area, many of the important Portuguese architects developed projects in the first half of the 20th century, including Raul Lino, Norte Júnior and Tertuliano de Lacerda Marques. These project benefited the town and region, resulting in the natural growth of tourism and the residence of many notable Portuguese: historian Francisco Costa; writer Ferreira de Castro; scultpure Anjos Teixeira; architects Norte Júnior and Raul Lino; painters Eduardo Viana, Milly Possoz and Vieira da Silva; poet Oliva Guerra; composer and maestro Frederico de Freitas; historian Felix Alves Pereira and João Martins da Silva Marques.
An urban anarchy predominated until the middle of the 1980s, in the regions adjacent the main town of Sintra, resulting in new neighbourhoods. The 1949 municipal plan by De Groer, was elaborated to defend the town and its neighbourhood, from out of control urbanization, and resulted in the maintenance of an environment comparable to the 19th century Sintra.
, the most westerly extent of continental Europe.
The São João platform, along the northern flank of the Sintra Mountains, has altitudes between 100 metres (109.4 yd) and 150 metres (164 yd), while the southern part of the mountains, the Cascais platform, is relatively lower in altitude: sloping from 150 metres (164 yd) to the sea, terminating along the coast, around 30 metres (32.8 yd) above sea level. The spectacular relief results from the east to west orientation along the massif's axis, its terminus at the coast, and the nature of igneous rocks, which are resistant to erosion. The Eruptive Massif of Sintra (MES) is a dome structure, formed by layers of sedimentary rocks (limestones and sandstones) from the Upper Jurassic and early Cretaceous
periods. A metamorphosed igneous intrusion, resulted in a narrow halo of metamorphic rocks, but also strongly deformed these sedimentary layers, causing a vertical exposure. While in the south there are enclosed sedimentary layers, to the north (around Praia Grande) the massif is steep. The sedimentary formations, until the beginning of the Upper Cretaceous, are deformed by the intrusion which limits the MES to the end the Cretaceous. The radiometric aging of different rocks from the massif indicated an age between 80 and 75 million years (confirming the installation of the massive Upper Cretaceous).
The geodynamic conditions that controlled the formation of the MES (correlated with the development of the Sines and Monchique Eruptive Massifs) are associated with the progressive northern expansion of the Atlantic Ocean and the consequent opening of the Bay of Biscay
. The Bay of Biscay's expansion resulted in complex tensions responsible for profound fractures in the earth's crust, that were conduits for the ascension of magma. This magma spread across the surface as a superficial crust, with a depth of 5 kilometre around 80 million years ago between sedimentary layers (160 to 9 million years old) that were chemically metamorphosed. Over time the magma chamber cooled and crystallized, resulting in conditions that caused the granular textures that characterize the MES. The weaker sedimentary layers were susceptible to erosion, and their products were deposited around their base. Consequently, the massif likely became exposed during the Paleogenic epoch (30 million years ago), known as the Benfica Complex.
The Mediterranean climate, influenced by the Atlantic, is typical of continental Portugal, characterized by moderate temperatures and wet winters. Although the climate in area of Cabo da Roca is semi-arid, the Sintra Mountains is considered moderately humid. In fact, precipitation in the mountains are more elevated then in the areas circling the mountains. The position of the municipality, within the natural landscape of the Sintra Mountains
(consisting of an exuberant natural patrimony), is influenced by the existence of a micro-climate. For different reasons (the climate here has been proportioned by the Sintra Mountains; the fertility of the lands deposited; and its relative proximity to the Tagus estuary) the region has attracted a large early settlement. Due to its micro-climate, a huge park has developed, full of rich, dense foliage, with a rich botanical diversity, constituting groups of a national forest.
Situated along the coast, the temperate climate and humidity, favours the growth of a rich mat of forest, that includes species of Atlantic and Mediterranean species, marking the transition from northern to southern vegetation of the country. The Pyrenean oak (Quercus pyrenaica) predominantly covers a great expansion of the rocky heights, and sheltered slopes. Along moist, shady slopes, normally facing north or in sheltered places the common oak (Quercus robur) are common, in lowlands and warm places the Cork oak (Quercus suber), while in areas of limestone the Portuguese oak (Quercus faginea) are common. In addition, there are other species that scattered throughout the mountains of Sintra, that include: maples (Acer pseudoplatanus), common hazel (Corylus avellana
), common hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), European holly (Ilex aquifolium), Portuguese laurel (Prunus lusitanica
), Bay laurel (Laurus nobilis), Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), Laurestine (Viburnum tinus
), Kermes oak (Quercus coccifera), and Italian buckthorn (Rhamnus alaternus
). Along the valleys, near the courses of the waterways, grow Narrow-leaf ash (Fraxinus angustifolia), Grey willow (Salix atrocinerea
), European alder (Alnus glutinosa), Alder bukthorn (Rhamnus frangula
) and Black Elderberry (Sambucus nigra
).
Since 1966, the Sintra Mountains has been affected by fires that have destroyed a major part of the original forest, which has been substituted by acacia and other fast-growing exotic species. The forested area of the Sintra mountains is about 5000 hectares (50 km²), of which 26% (1300 hectares (13 km²)) are maintained by the State, through the Direcção Geral de Florestas-Núcleo Florestal de Sintra (General Directorate of Forests: Sintra Forestry Service).
The municipality is administered by 20 civil parish councils, with local authority to administer services and provide local governance, that include:
Sintra has grown considerably in the late 20th century, passing from about 14% of the region of Lisbon to 19%, with the concentration of resident population be found in the important Queluz-Portela corridor, along the southeast corner of the municipality. This region concentrated approximately 82% of the municipalities population, with the most attractive parishes being limited to São Pedro de Penaferim, Rio de Mouro, Belas and Algueirão-Mem Martins.
With the decrease in mortality rates, the region has undergone a general increase in infant births, primarily associated with late births, but also a increase in seniors in the community (56.5% in 2001). Yet, Sintra is still considered the municipality with a structurally young population, the youngest in the Greater Metropolitan Area of Lisbon. Young adults (30-39 year olds) dominate communities of Sintra, with the parishes of Pêro Pinheiro, Terrugem, São Martinho, São João das Lampas, Santa Maria e São Miguel, Montelavar, Colares, Queluz and Almargem do Bispo, with higher rates of seniors or dependent seniors in the population. Approximately 80% of the population are born outside the municipality, with 21% of these numbers being foreign born residents. While the resident population in Lisbon has seen a gentle decrease since the mid-1960s, Sintra has grown comparably.
Urban areas represent 55.4 square kilometres (5,540 ha) of the municipality, or approximately 17.4% of Sintra's territory), of which 35% of the population reside in places of between 50,000 and 100,000 inhabitants. Many of these areas are anchored to the lines of accessibility, and in particular, the Sintra Line and IC19 motorway, that connects the principal cities of Queluz, Agualva-Cacém, Algueirão/Mem Martins, Rio de Mouro and Belas). Many of these urban areas are composed of a fabric of building projects that have historically resulted in dense buildings of concrete, normally seven or more floors in height. The greatest growth in residential homes have occurred in the south of the municipality, in the triangle of São Pedro de Penaferrim, Santa Maria e São Miguel and Casal de Cambra. In addition, there is a major concentration and growth in family dwellings of a seasonal nature, or second-homes in this region, while a proliferation of illegal buildings/construction in the parishes of São João das Lampas, São Pedro de Penaferrim, Belas, Agualva-Cacém and Casal de Cambra.
Queluz (Sintra)
Queluz is a Portuguese city and parish ,located in the municipality of Sintra, in the Lisbon District. The city of Queluz, which includes the parishes of Queluz, Massamá and Monte Abraão, has a combined population of approximately 111,424 and it is located in the municipality of Sintra, in the...
and Agualva-Cacém
Agualva-Cacém
Agualva-Cacém is a Portuguese city located in Sintra Municipality. It comprises the parishes of Agualva, Cacém, Mira-Sintra, and São Marcos. The city has a population of 81,845. It is mainland Europe's westernmost city....
) and known for many of its 19th century Romantic
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
architecture, which resulted in its classification as a UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
. Although the built and natural heritage are the most visible faces of the historical individuality of Sintra, there is an entire literary heritage that has made this area a legendary reference in Portuguese culture.
History
It was in Penha Verde, that the earliest remnants of human occupation were discovered: these vestiges testify to an occupation dating to the early PaleolithicPaleolithic
The Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory...
. Comparable remnants were discovered in an open-air site in São Pedro de Canaferrim, alongside the chapel of the Castelo dos Mouros (Moorish Castle), date back to the Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
, and include decorated ceramics and microlithic flint
Flint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
utensils from the fifth century B.C. Probably, between the fourth and third millenia B.C., the region was occupied (adjacent to the actual village of Sintra
Sintra
Sintra is a town within the municipality of Sintra in the Grande Lisboa subregion of Portugal. Owing to its 19th century Romantic architecture and landscapes, becoming a major tourist centre, visited by many day-trippers who travel from the urbanized suburbs and capital of Lisbon.In addition to...
) by a Neolithic/Chalcolithic settlement, from the presence of ceramic fragments, whose characteristics were comparable to fortified settlements in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
and Setubal
Setúbal
Setúbal is the main city in Setúbal Municipality in Portugal with a total area of 172.0 km² and a total population of 118,696 inhabitants in the municipality. The city proper has 89,303 inhabitants....
, as well as many of the comparable late Chalcolithic vases that punctuated the Sintra mountains. The evidence discovered in Quinta das Sequoias and San Pedro de Canaferrim contrast dramatically with those remnants discovered in the walled town of Penha Verde and the funerary monument of Bella Vista. Traces of several Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
vestiges were also discovered in many places in the Sintra Mountains, including alongside the town, in the Monte do Sereno area, and a late Bronze Age settlement within the Moorish Castle dating to the 9th-6th century B.C. Relatively close, in Santa Eufémia da Serra, is an Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
settlement, artifacts from indigenous tribes and peoples of Mediterranean origins (principally from the Punic period) were also discovered. These vestiges date to the early 4th century, prior to the Romanization of the peninsula which date, in the area of Foz do Tejo, to the middle of the 2nd century.
The close vicinity to a large commercial centre (Olissipo) founded by Turduli tribes
Turduli
The Turduli were an ancient Celtiberian tribe of Lusitania, akin to the Lusitanians. They lived in the south of modern Portugal, in the east of the province of Alentejo, along the Guadiana valley , and Extremadura proper...
, in the first half of the first millennium A.D., meant that the region of Sintra was influenced by human settlement throughout various epochs, resulting in remnants and vestiges from these cultures. The toponymy
Toponymy
Toponymy is the scientific study of place names , their origins, meanings, use and typology. The word "toponymy" is derived from the Greek words tópos and ónoma . Toponymy is itself a branch of onomastics, the study of names of all kinds...
, Sintra, which derives from the medieval Suntria, and points to an association with radical Indo-European cultures; the word translates into bright star or sun, commonly used in their cultures. Marcus Terentius Varro
Marcus Terentius Varro
Marcus Terentius Varro was an ancient Roman scholar and writer. He is sometimes called Varro Reatinus to distinguish him from his younger contemporary Varro Atacinus.-Biography:...
and Cadizian Lucio Junio Moderato Columela designated the place as Monte Sagrado (the sacred mountain); and Ptolomy referred to it as the Serra da Lua (mountains of the moon).
During the Roman occupation of the peninsula, the region of Sintra was part of the vast Civitas Olisiponense, which Cesar (around 49 B.C.), or more likely, Octavius (around 30 B.C.), issued the statute of Municipium Civium Romanorum. The various residents of the region were considered part of the Roman Galeria, and in the actual village of Sintra, there are actual Roman vestiges, presupposing a Roman presence from the 1st-2nd century B.C. to 5th century A.D. A similar roadway along the southeast part of the Sintra Mountains dates back to this period and connected to the main road to Olissipo. This via followed the current Rua da Ferraria, the Calçada dos Clérigos and the Calçada da Trindade. Following Roman habit of locating tombs along their roads and near their homes, there is also evidence of inscriptions pertaining to Roman funeral monuments, dating principally to the 2nd century.
It was during the Moorish occupation of Sintra that Greco-latin writers wrote of the explicit occupation of the area of the town centre. A description by the geographer Al-Bacr, described Sintra as "one of the towns that [are] dependent on Lisbon in Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
, in the proximity to the sea", characterizing it as "permanently submersed in a fog that never dissipates".
During the Reconquista
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
(around the 9th century), its principal centre and castle were isolated by Christian armies. Following the fall of the Caliphate of Córdoba
Caliphate of Córdoba
The Caliphate of Córdoba ruled the Iberian peninsula and part of North Africa, from the city of Córdoba, from 929 to 1031. This period was characterized by remarkable success in trade and culture; many of the masterpieces of Islamic Iberia were constructed in this period, including the famous...
, the King of Léon, Alfonso VIreceived in the spring of 1093, the cities of Santarém, Lisbon and the Castle of Sintra. This followed a period of internal instability within the Muslim taifa
Taifa
In the history of the Iberian Peninsula, a taifa was an independent Muslim-ruled principality, usually an emirate or petty kingdom, though there was one oligarchy, of which a number formed in the Al-Andalus after the final collapse of the Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba in 1031.-Rise:The origins of...
s of the peninsula, and in particular the decision by the King of Badajoz, Umar ibn Muhammad al-Mutawakkil, who placed his territory under the protection (suzerainty
Suzerainty
Suzerainty occurs where a region or people is a tributary to a more powerful entity which controls its foreign affairs while allowing the tributary vassal state some limited domestic autonomy. The dominant entity in the suzerainty relationship, or the more powerful entity itself, is called a...
) of Alfonso VI from the Almoravid (after hesitating between 1090 and 1091). Afonso VI took the cities and castle of Sintra between 30 Abril and 8 May 1093, but Lisbon was, shortly after its transfer, conquered by the Almoravid, along with Sintra. Santarém was saved by Henry, Count of Portugal
Henry, Count of Portugal
Henry of Burgundy, Count of Portugal was Count of Portugal from 1093 to his death. He was brother of Hugh I, Duke of Burgundy, and Odo I, Duke of Burgundy, all sons of Henry, the heir of Robert I, Duke of Burgundy. His name is Henri in modern French, Henricus in Latin, Enrique in modern Spanish...
, who Afonso VI nominated as Count of Portugal in 1096, to substitute Raymond of Burgandy.
Kingdom
Under this context, in July 1109, Count HenryHenry, Count of Portugal
Henry of Burgundy, Count of Portugal was Count of Portugal from 1093 to his death. He was brother of Hugh I, Duke of Burgundy, and Odo I, Duke of Burgundy, all sons of Henry, the heir of Robert I, Duke of Burgundy. His name is Henri in modern French, Henricus in Latin, Enrique in modern Spanish...
reconquered the Castle of Sintra. This was preceded, a year before, by Prince Sigurd the Crusader, son of Magnus III of Norway
Magnus III of Norway
Magnus Barefoot or Magnus III Olafsson was King of Norway from 1093 until 1103 and King of Mann and the Isles from 1099 until 1103.-Background:...
, who attempted to capture the Castle from the Moors in the course of his trek to the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
. Sigurd's forces disembarked at the mouth of the Colares River but failed to take the castle. It was only after the conquest of Lisbon, in October 1147, by Afonso Henriques (and supported by Crusaders
Crusaders
The Crusaders are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Christchurch that competes in the Super Rugby competition. They are the most successful team in Super Rugby history with seven titles...
), that the castle surrendered in November. It was integrated into Christian dominions along with Almada and Palmela after their surrender, Afonso Henriques estabalished the Church of São Pedro de Canaferrim, within the walls of the Moorish Castle to mark his success.
On 9 January 1154, Afonso Henriques signed a foral
Foral
thumb|left|200px|Foral of Castro Verde - PortugalThe word foral derives from the Portuguese word foro, ultimately from Latin forum, equivalent to Spanish fuero, Galician foro, Catalan furs and Basque foru ....
(charter) for the town of Sintra, with all its respective regalia. The charter established the municipality of Sintra, whose territory encompassed a large area, that was eventually divided into four great parishes: São Pedro de Canaferrim (its seat in the castle); São Martinho (its seat in the town of Sintra); Santa Maria; and São Miguel (whose seat was in the ecclesiastical seat of Arrabalde). The early municipal seat, the town of Sintra, was the centre of a significant Sephardic community, with a synagogue and quarter. This was not only limited to Sintra town, but enclaves existed in Colares, referred during the reign of King Denis
Denis of Portugal
Dinis , called the Farmer King , was the sixth King of Portugal and the Algarve. The eldest son of Afonso III of Portugal by his second wife, Beatrice of Castile and grandson of king Alfonso X of Castile , Dinis succeeded his father in 1279.-Biography:As heir to the throne, Infante Dinis was...
, but were heavily pressured by the influx of Christian serfs. Throughout the 12 and 13th century, owing to the fertile lands, various convents and monasteries, in addition to military orders, constructed residences, estates, water-mills and vineyards. There are municipal records during this period of a number of donations/grants; between 1157 and 1158, Afonso Henriques donated to the master of Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
, Gualdim Pais
Gualdim Pais
Dom Gualdim Pais , a Portuguese crusader, Templar, Friar and Knight in the service of Afonso Henriques of Portugal, was the founder of the city of Tomar.-Biography:...
, various houses and estates in the centre of Sintra. In 1210, the Monastery of Santa Cruz inCoimbra
Coimbra Municipality
Coimbra is a municipality in central Portugal, whose core is the city of Coimbra. It is in the district of Coimbra, being the principal centre in the Centro region, the seat of the Baixo Mondego subregion and former capital of Portugal during the Middle Ages...
, acquired four houses in Pocilgais, releasing them in 1230, while in 1264, it controlled the homes and vineyards in Almargem. The Monastery of São Vicente de Fora
Monastery of São Vicente de Fora
The Church or Monastery of São Vicente de Fora; meaning "Monastery of St. Vincent Outside the Walls" is a 17th century church and monastery in the city of Lisbon, in Portugal...
(Lisbon), in 1216, also held a vineyard in Colares and, in 1218, estates in Queluz and Barota. Sometime between 1223 and 1245, the Monastery of Santa Maria de Alcobaça possessed various privileges in the territory. The military Order of Santiago
Order of Santiago
The Order of Santiago was founded in the 12th century, and owes its name to the national patron of Galicia and Spain, Santiago , under whose banner the Christians of Galicia and Asturias began in the 9th century to combat and drive back the Muslims of the Iberian Peninsula.-History:Santiago de...
held in 1260 a estate in Arrifana. Many of Afonso Henriques' donations between 12th and 13th century, including privileges assigned to these institutions, were confirmed in 1189 by his son, Sancho I
Sancho I of Portugal
Sancho I , nicknamed the Populator , second monarch of Portugal, was born on 11 November 1154 in Coimbra and died on 26 March 1212 in the same city. He was the second but only surviving legitimate son and fourth child of Afonso I of Portugal by his wife, Maud of Savoy. Sancho succeeded his father...
(1185-1211), corresponding to a social, political and economic strategy during the post-Reconquista
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
era. Consequently, after 1261, Sintra had a local administration consisting of an alcalde
Alcalde
Alcalde , or Alcalde ordinario, is the traditional Spanish municipal magistrate, who had both judicial and administrative functions. An alcalde was, in the absence of a corregidor, the presiding officer of the Castilian cabildo and judge of first instance of a town...
representing the Crown, and two local judges, elected by the public. During the political conflict between King Sancho II
Sancho II of Portugal
Sancho II , nicknamed "the Pious" and "the Caped" or "the Capuched" , , fourth King of Portugal, was the eldest son of Afonso II of Portugal by his wife, Infanta Urraca of Castile...
(1223-1248) and the Church, the churches of São Pedro and São Martinho, which belonged to the King, were ceded to the Bishop of Lisbon and Sé. Yet, the Crown's patrimony was defined early: in 1287, King Denis donated to Queen Elizabeth of Aragon
Elizabeth of Aragon
Elizabeth of Aragon, also known as Saint Elizabeth of Portugal, T.O.S.F. , was queen consort of Portugal, a tertiary of the Franciscan Order and is venerated as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church.-Biography:Elizabeth was a descendant of one of the most powerful families in Europe:...
the town, the signeurial holdings and all associated benefits inherent with those privileges. Later, these lands were transferred to the young Infante Afonso
Afonso IV of Portugal
Afonso IV , called the Brave , was the seventh king of Portugal and the Algarve from 1325 until his death. He was the only legitimate son of King Denis of Portugal by his wife Elizabeth of Aragon.-Biography:...
(later King Afonso IV), and remained in his possession until 1334, before reverting to the Queen's possessions .
The Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
arrived in Sintra around the 14th century; in 1350, the disease caused the death of five municipal scribes. Owing to the cooler climate and humidity, it is likely that the conditions were favourable for the rapid propagation of the disease, resulting in far greater numbers of deaths.
During the reign of King Ferdinand
Ferdinand I of Portugal
Ferdinand I , sometimes referred to as the Handsome or rarely as the Inconstant , was the ninth King of Portugal and the Algarve, the second son of Peter I and his wife, Constance of Castile...
(1367-1383), Sintra played a part in the controversial marriage of the monarch with Dona
Dom (title)
Dom is a title of respect prefixed to the given name. It derives from Latin Dominus.It is used in English for certain Benedictine and Carthusian monks, and for members of certain communities of Canons Regular. Examples include Benedictine monks of the English Benedictine Congregation...
Leonor Telles de Menezes
Leonor Telles de Menezes
Leonor Telles de Menezes was a queen consort of Portugal and regent during the years 1383–1385. She was the wife of a Portuguese nobleman from whom she was forcibly divorced by King Ferdinand I, who afterward married her...
. In 1374, the King donated Sintra to the Lady Teles, with whom he eventually married, in secret, in the north of the country. The King conceded along with Sintra, the municipalities of Vila Viçosa, Abrantes and Almada, to the consternation of his private counsel; following one of these confrontations, the King abandoned his duties, and travelled to Sintra, where he remained for a month, on the pretense of hunting. Being located relatively close to Lisbon, many of its people were called to work on projects for the Crown in the capital: in 1373, King Ferdinand
Ferdinand I of Portugal
Ferdinand I , sometimes referred to as the Handsome or rarely as the Inconstant , was the ninth King of Portugal and the Algarve, the second son of Peter I and his wife, Constance of Castile...
decided to wall the city, and request funds or workers from lands along the sea in Almada, Sesimbra, Palmela, Setúbal, Coina, Benavente and Samora Correia, as well as all of the Ribatejo
Ribatejo
The Ribatejo is the most central of the traditional provinces of Portugal, with no coastline or border with Spain. The region is crossed by the Tagus River...
; and from the interior places of Sintra, Cascais, Torres Vedras, Alenquer, Arruda, Atouguia, Lourinhã, Telheiros and Mafra. During the Dynastic Crisis
1383–1385 Crisis
The 1383–1385 Crisis was a period of civil war in Portuguese history that began with the death of King Ferdinand I of Portugal, who left no male heirs, and ended with the accession to the throne of King John I in 1385, in the wake of the Battle of Aljubarrota.In Portugal, this period is also known...
(between 1383-1385), Sintra supported Leonor Teles, who supported the proclamation of her daughter, Beatrice
Beatrice of Portugal
Beatrice was the only surviving child of King Ferdinand I of Portugal and his wife, Leonor Telles de Menezes. She married King John I of Castile. In the absence of a male heir, she claimed the throne of Portugal, supported by her husband. This led to the 1383–1385 Crisis, in which the Portuguese...
, who married John I of Castile
John I of Castile
John I was the king of Crown of Castile, was the son of Henry II and of his wife Juana Manuel of Castile, daughter of Juan Manuel, Prince of Villena, head of a younger branch of the royal house of Castile...
, as Queen of Portugal and of Castile. After the defeat of the Castelian army at Aljubarrota
Battle of Aljubarrota
The Battle of Aljubarrota was a battle fought between the Kingdom of Portugal and the Crown of Castile on 14 August 1385. Forces commanded by King John I of Portugal and his general Nuno Álvares Pereira, with the support of English allies, opposed the army of King John I of Castile with its...
(August 1385) by Portuguese and English troops, commanded by Nuno Álvares Pereira
Nuno Álvares Pereira
Dom Nuno Álvares Pereira, O. Carm. , also spelled Nun'Álvares Pereira, was a Portuguese general of great success who had a decisive role in the 1383-1385 Crisis that assured Portugal's independence from Castile...
, Sintra became one of the last places to surrender to the Master of Aviz, later King of Portugal (after 1383). John
John I of Portugal
John I KG , called the Good or of Happy Memory, more rarely and outside Portugal the Bastard, was the tenth King of Portugal and the Algarve and the first to use the title Lord of Ceuta...
(1385-1433), first King of the second dynasty, broke the tradition of transfering Sintra to the Casa da Rainha (Queen's property). Likely around 1383, John I granted the lands of Sintra to Count Henrique Manuel de Vilhena, which he quickly revoked after Henrique took the Infanta's side during the dynastic quarrel. Sintra, therefore, continued to be a possession of the King, who expanded the local estate. Until the end of the 17th century, the royal palace constituted one of the principal residences and summer estates of the court: it was from this estate that John decided to conquer Ceuta
Ceuta
Ceuta is an autonomous city of Spain and an exclave located on the north coast of North Africa surrounded by Morocco. Separated from the Iberian peninsula by the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta lies on the border of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta along with the other Spanish...
(1415); King Afonso V
Afonso V of Portugal
Afonso V KG , called the African , was the twelfth King of Portugal and the Algarves. His sobriquet refers to his conquests in Northern Africa.-Early life:...
was born and died at the palace (1433-1481); and King John II
John II of Portugal
John II , the Perfect Prince , was the thirteenth king of Portugal and the Algarves...
was acclaimed sovereign (1481-1495).
In a document issued by King Edward (1433-1438), the region was described (in 1435) as: "A land of good air and water and of the Comarcas with an abundance in the sea and land, and because our most loyal city of Lisbon, being so near, and being in it sufficient diversions, and the distractions of the mountains and hunting...".
During the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
Age of Discovery
Age of Discovery
The Age of Discovery, also known as the Age of Exploration and the Great Navigations , was a period in history starting in the early 15th century and continuing into the early 17th century during which Europeans engaged in intensive exploration of the world, establishing direct contacts with...
, several people born in Sintra were written into history: Gonçalo de Sintra, squire in the House of the Infante Henry (who was sent by the royal in 1443, as captain of a caravel to the coast of Africa), explored the region near the Ouro River and eventually died there in 1444. It was Pedro de Sintra and Soeiro da Costa that who later mapped the maximum extent of the Atlantic coast of Africa, on the date of Henry's death (1460).
The importance of Sintra on official itineraries lead, at the end of the 15th century, Queen Leonor of Viseu
Leonor of Viseu
Eleanor of Viseu was a Portuguese infanta and later queen consort of Portugal.To distinguish her from other infantas of the same name, she is commonly known as Eleanor of Viseu or Eleanor of Lancaster Eleanor of Viseu (2 May 1458–17 November 1525; ) was a Portuguese infanta (princess) and...
(wife of King John II
John II of Portugal
John II , the Perfect Prince , was the thirteenth king of Portugal and the Algarves...
), then principal benefactor of the Portuguese Misericóridas, expanded her principal institutions in Sintra. The Hospital e Gafaria do Espírito Santo, the only remnant of which left standing is a chapel to São Lázaro, was constructed to provide assistance and support to lepers in the region (the chapel still includes the signets of King John, the pelican, and Queen Leonor, the shrimp). In 1545, the Hospital was transfered to the administration of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia of Sintra which was instituted by QueenCatherine of Austria, wife of John III
John III of Portugal
John III , nicknamed o Piedoso , was the fifteenth King of Portugal and the Algarves. He was the son of King Manuel I and Maria of Aragon, the third daughter of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile...
.
King Manuel I
Manuel I of Portugal
Manuel I , the Fortunate , 14th king of Portugal and the Algarves was the son of Infante Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu, , by his wife, Infanta Beatrice of Portugal...
(1495 - 1521), enjoyed spending his summers in Sintra, due to its cool climate and abundance of hunt; as Damião de Góis
Damião de Góis
Damiao de Góis , born in Alenquer, Portugal, was an important Portuguese humanist philosopher. He was a friend and student of Erasmus. He was appointed secretary to the Portuguese factory in Antwerp in 1523 by King John III of Portugal...
, his chronicler noted: "because its one of the places in Europe that is cooler, and cheerful for whichever King, Prince or Master, to pass there time, because, in addition to its good airs, that cross its mountains, called by the older peoples the promontory of the moon, there is it her much hunting of deer and other animals, and overall many and many good trout of many type, and in which in all of Hispania there can be found, and many springs of water...". Between the 15th and 16th century, the King transformed and enriched the town and its region, with several public works, after he travelled to Kingdom of Castile
Kingdom of Castile
Kingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. It emerged as a political autonomous entity in the 9th century. It was called County of Castile and was held in vassalage from the Kingdom of León. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region...
and the Kingdom of Aragon
Kingdom of Aragon
The Kingdom of Aragon was a medieval and early modern kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula, corresponding to the modern-day autonomous community of Aragon, in Spain...
, when he was being considered the heir to the Kingdoms (1498). These included the reconstruction of the old Gothic Church of São Martinho, the construction of the Monastery of Nossa Senhora da Pena (1511) on the highest peak in the Sintra Mountains, which he then transferred title to the Order of Saint Jerome
Hieronymites
Hieronymites, or the Order of St. Jerome , is a common name for several congregations of hermits living according to the Rule of St. Augustine, with supplementary regulations taken from the writings of the 5th-century monk and scholar, St Jerome. The principal group with this name was founded in...
. In the second half of the 16th century, Sintra was a centre of cortesans, and members of the aristocracy began building estates and farms within the region. In this rural environment the Viceroy of India, D.
Dom (title)
Dom is a title of respect prefixed to the given name. It derives from Latin Dominus.It is used in English for certain Benedictine and Carthusian monks, and for members of certain communities of Canons Regular. Examples include Benedictine monks of the English Benedictine Congregation...
João de Castro
João de Castro
Dom João de Castro was a Portuguese naval officer and fourth viceroy of Portuguese India. He was called Castro Forte by poet Luís de Camões. Castro was the son of Álvaro de Castro, civil governor of Lisbon...
(1500-1548), after 1542, began to reside at Quinta da Penha Verde, where he collected artistic examples of the Portuguese culture of the time, including works by celebrated artist Francisco de Holanda
Francisco de Holanda
Francisco de Holanda , was a Portuguese humanist and painter. Considered to be one of the most important figures of the Portuguese Renaissance, he was also an essayist, architect, and historian...
. It was during this cultural Renaissance that the marble chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
, sculpted by Nicolau Chanterene
Nicolau Chanterene
Nicolau Chanterene was a French sculptor and architect who worked mainly in Portugal and Spain....
between 1529 and 1532 for the chapel of the Monastery of Nossa Senhora da Pena was completed, as was the portico of the Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição da Ulgueira (1560).
Luís de Camões
Luís de Camões
Luís Vaz de Camões is considered Portugal's and the Portuguese language's greatest poet. His mastery of verse has been compared to that of Shakespeare, Vondel, Homer, Virgil and Dante. He wrote a considerable amount of lyrical poetry and drama but is best remembered for his epic work Os Lusíadas...
(1524-1580) referred to the mountains of Sintra in his Os Lusíadas
Os Lusíadas
Os Lusíadas , usually translated as The Lusiads, is a Portuguese epic poem by Luís Vaz de Camões ....
chronicle, as a mythic land, subjugated by the water nymph
Nymph
A nymph in Greek mythology is a female minor nature deity typically associated with a particular location or landform. Different from gods, nymphs are generally regarded as divine spirits who animate nature, and are usually depicted as beautiful, young nubile maidens who love to dance and sing;...
s. The Renaissance poet Luisa Sigea—Syntrae Aloisiae Sygeae in Paris (1566) and Madrid (1781) referred to Sintra as a "pleasent valley, between cliffs that rise into the heavens, is curved in graceful hills among whom one can feel the murmur of the waters...[where] everything, in fact, will enchant and perfume the environment with its fragrance and fruit."
With the death of the Cardinal-King Henry (1578-1580), Phillip II of Spain inherited the Kingdom of Portugal, which remained in Spain's possession until 1640. During this period, Portuguese political power moved from Sintra to Vila Viçosa, principal centre of the House of Braganza
House of Braganza
The Most Serene House of Braganza , an important Portuguese noble family, ruled the Kingdom of Portugal and its colonial Empire, from 1640 to 1910...
, whose dukes, descendents of John of Portugal
John I of Portugal
John I KG , called the Good or of Happy Memory, more rarely and outside Portugal the Bastard, was the tenth King of Portugal and the Algarve and the first to use the title Lord of Ceuta...
, were heirs to the throne of Portugal. Following the decision of the Cortes of Tomar in 1590, Phillip, as King of Portugal, respected local administration composed of the Portuguese aristocracy, and passed through Sintra (around October 1581), visiting the monasteries and churches. It was also during this period that cult of Sebastanism, the hope of the return of King Sebastian
Sebastian of Portugal
Sebastian "the Desired" was the 16th king of Portugal and the Algarves. He was the son of Prince John of Portugal and his wife, Joan of Spain...
, came to an end, when several fake "Sebastians" were denounced. It was the case, in 1585, of Mateus Alvares, born on the island ofTerceira (in the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
) and guardian of the hermitage of São Julio, who passed himself off as King Sebastian, and created conflict in Sintra, Madra, Rio de Mouro and Ericeira. The Sebastian adventure ended with the hanging of thirty people and the suffering of many more. It was not surprising, therefore, that the visit in 1619, by King Phillip IV of Spain (Phillip III of Portugal)
Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640...
resulted in the escape to the hills of many families. During thisunion
Iberian Union
The Iberian union was a political unit that governed all of the Iberian Peninsula south of the Pyrenees from 1580–1640, through a dynastic union between the monarchies of Portugal and Spain after the War of the Portuguese Succession...
(1580-1640), Sintra was a privileged place for Portuguese "exiles" from the Castilian court; nobles who wished to distance themselves from Spanish nobility would purchase lands in the region, away from the intrigues of court. At the time of the Restoration, in 1639, the municipality had approximately 4000 residents.
The battles with Spain (1640-1668), the affirmation of Mafra during the reign of John V of Portugal (1706-1750) through the construction of the Palace-Convent
Mafra National Palace
The Mafra National Palace is a monumental Baroque and Italianized Neoclassical palace-monastery located in Mafra, Portugal, some 28 kilometres from Lisbon. Its dimensions are so huge that it dwarfs the city...
, and later the construction of Royal Palace of Queluz
Queluz National Palace
The Queluz National Palace is a Portuguese 18th-century palace located at Queluz, a freguesia of the modern-day Sintra Municipality, in the Lisbon District. One of the last great Rococo buildings to be designed in Europe, the palace was conceived as a summer retreat for Dom Pedro of Braganza,...
(in 1747) during the reigns of Joseph I of Portugal (1750-1777) and Maria I of Portugal
Maria I of Portugal
Maria I was Queen regnant of Portugal and the Algarves from 1777 until her death. Known as Maria the Pious , or Maria the Mad , she was the first undisputed Queen regnant of Portugal...
(1777-1816), helped to diminish the visits to the region. During this era, there were only two documented visits: in 1652 and 1654, respectively, during the visit of Queen Luísa de Gusmão and King John IV of Portugal
John IV of Portugal
|-|John IV was the King of Portugal and the Algarves from 1640 to his death. He was the grandson of Catherine, Duchess of Braganza, who had in 1580 claimed the Portuguese crown and sparked the struggle for the throne of Portugal. John was nicknamed John the Restorer...
(1640-1656); and the final burial of King Afonso VI.
Alleging the mental insanity of the King, and the incapacity of the heir, the Duke of Cadaval and the Infante Peter, lead a coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
in 1667, which resulted in the resignation of the Count of Castelo-Melhor, Minister of King Afonso VI (1656-1633) and the imprisonment of the monarch. The Cortes of Lisbon in 1668, confirmed the Infante Peter, brother of the king, as regent and heir. Afonso VI lived the rest of his life imprisoned, in the Paço da Ribeira (1667-1669), in the Fort of São João Baptista in Angra
Angra do Heroísmo
Angra do Heroísmo , locally referred to as Angra, is a municipality and city on the island of Terceira, within the Portuguese autonomous region of the Azores. The municipal area has a population of 35,581 and an area of . Along with Praia da Vitória to the north, it is one of two municipal...
, in the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
(1669-1674) and, in the end, with the discovery of a conspiracy to kill the regent, in the Paço da Vila in Sintra (1674-1683).
Between the 17th and 18th century, the region was centre of contemplative religious orders, who established convents in Sintra. But it continued to remain a place of myths, with a large, mysterious forest, and macabre, gloomy spaces that affected the brave kings. Father Baião, in his Portugal Cuidadoso (1724) noted: "Next to the Palace of Sintra was a forest, so thick, that during the day, it cast fear in he who entered it. And [King] D. Sebastian
Sebastian of Portugal
Sebastian "the Desired" was the 16th king of Portugal and the Algarves. He was the son of Prince John of Portugal and his wife, Joan of Spain...
, was free from these fears, that he would walk a night through it many times for two or three hours." Sintra became known as a nostalic and mysterious route defined by many foreigners, starting in the second half of the 18th century and lasting through the 19th century; it was the Romantic
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
Glorioso Eden of Lord Byron; the pleasent resort of Almeida Garrett
Almeida Garrett
João Baptista da Silva Leitão de Almeida Garrett, Viscount of Almeida Garrett was a Portuguese poet, playwright, novelist and politician. He is considered to be the introducer of the Romanticism in Portugal, with the epic poem Camões, based on the life of Luís de Camões...
; the "nest of lovers [where in] the romantic foliage, the nobles abandoned themselves in the hands of the poets", as Eça de Queiróz opined; or the stop, where Richard Strauss saw a garden "comparable to Italy, Sicilly, Greece or Egypt, a true garden of Klingsor, and there in the heights, a castle of the Holy Grail".
The 1755 Lisbon earthquake
1755 Lisbon earthquake
The 1755 Lisbon earthquake, also known as the Great Lisbon Earthquake, was a megathrust earthquake that took place on Saturday 1 November 1755, at around 9:40 in the morning. The earthquake was followed by fires and a tsunami, which almost totally destroyed Lisbon in the Kingdom of Portugal, and...
, meanwhile, caused the destruction in the centre of Sintra, in addition to deaths, resulting in construction and restoration during the second half of 18th century.
Still in the 18th century, the first industrial building was established in the municipality: the Fábrica de Estamparia de Rio de Mouro (Mouro River Stamping Factory) in 1778.
The visit of Queen Maria I
Maria I of Portugal
Maria I was Queen regnant of Portugal and the Algarves from 1777 until her death. Known as Maria the Pious , or Maria the Mad , she was the first undisputed Queen regnant of Portugal...
in 1787, caused the restoration and redecoration of a few salons and chambers in the municipal buildings. But, the great festivals, in 1795, resulting from the baptism of the Infante António, son of John VI
John VI of Portugal
John VI John VI John VI (full name: João Maria José Francisco Xavier de Paula Luís António Domingos Rafael; (13 May 1767 – 10 March 1826) was King of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves (later changed to just King of Portugal and the Algarves, after Brazil was recognized...
, resulted in grande balls at the Palace of Queluz
Queluz National Palace
The Queluz National Palace is a Portuguese 18th-century palace located at Queluz, a freguesia of the modern-day Sintra Municipality, in the Lisbon District. One of the last great Rococo buildings to be designed in Europe, the palace was conceived as a summer retreat for Dom Pedro of Braganza,...
. The King-Consort, Ferdinand II
Ferdinand II of Portugal
Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha , named Prince Ferdinand Augustus Francis Anthony of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry, was King of Portugal as husband of Queen Maria II of Portugal from the birth of their son in 1837 to her death in 1853.In keeping with Portuguese law, only after the birth of his son in...
bought the Monastery of Nossa Senhora da Pena, and a vast area adjacent (in 1838) who he commissioned the architect José de Costa e Silva, to construct the arch joining the two quarters of the Seteais Palace
Seteais Palace
The Seteais Palace is a neoclassical palace located in Sintra, Portugal. The palace is nowadays a luxury hotel, restaurant and a tourist attraction included in the Cultural Landscape of Sintra, listed as World Heritage Site by UNESCO.-History:...
(owned by the Marquess of Marialva), to commemorate in 1802, the visit the princes of Brazil, the InfanteJoão and Carlota Joaquina, and later the their son, the absolutist King Miguel
Miguel of Portugal
Dom Miguel I, sometimes Michael , was the King of Portugal between 1828 and 1834, the seventh child and second son of King John VI and his queen, Charlotte of Spain....
, in 1830.
During the third quart of the 18th century, and practically all of the 19th century, the Romanticism
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
of foreign travellers and Portuguese aristocrats rediscovered the magic of Sintra and its places, overall in the exoticism in its landscape and climate. In the summer of 1787, William Beckford
William Thomas Beckford
William Thomas Beckford , usually known as William Beckford, was an English novelist, a profligate and consummately knowledgeable art collector and patron of works of decorative art, a critic, travel writer and sometime politician, reputed to be the richest commoner in England...
stayed with the Marquess of Marialva, master of the horse
Master of the Horse
The Master of the Horse was a position of varying importance in several European nations.-Magister Equitum :...
for the kingdom, at his residence of Seteais. Princess Carlota Joaquina, wife of the Regent John
John VI of Portugal
John VI John VI John VI (full name: João Maria José Francisco Xavier de Paula Luís António Domingos Rafael; (13 May 1767 – 10 March 1826) was King of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves (later changed to just King of Portugal and the Algarves, after Brazil was recognized...
, bought, at the beginning of the 19th century, the estate and Palace of Ramalhão. Between 1791 and 1793, Gerard Devisme constructed on his extensive estate, a Neo-Gothic mansion in the Quinta de Monserrate (later becoming known as the Monserrate Palace
Monserrate Palace
The Monserrate Palace is an exotic palatial villa located near Sintra, Portugal, the traditional summer resort of the Portuguese court. It was built in 1858 for Sir Francis Cook, an English baronet created visconde de Monserrate by King Luís. Monserrate turned to an English architect, James...
). Beckford, who remained in Sintra, rented the property from Devisme in 1794. The landscape, covered in fog, also attracted another Englishman, Francis Cook
Sir Francis Cook, 1st Baronet
-Life:He entered his father's firm Cook, Son & Co., which traded finished wool, cotton, linen and silk, after travels in Europe and the Near East, and from 1869 was its head, rising to one of Britain's three richest men...
, who occuped the estate, constructing an oriental pavillion.
The Palace of Pena
Pena National Palace
The Pena National Palace is a Romanticist palace in São Pedro de Penaferrim, municipality of Sintra, Portugal. The palace stands on the top of a hill above the town of Sintra, and on a clear day it can be easily seen from Lisbon and much of its metropolitan area. It is a national monument and...
, the exemplar Portuguese Romantic symbol of Sintra, was initiated by the King-Consort Ferdinand
Ferdinand II of Portugal
Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha , named Prince Ferdinand Augustus Francis Anthony of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry, was King of Portugal as husband of Queen Maria II of Portugal from the birth of their son in 1837 to her death in 1853.In keeping with Portuguese law, only after the birth of his son in...
, husband of Queen Maria of Portugal (1834-1853), a German-born member of the House of Saxe-Cobourg-Gotha. The Palace was constructed over the remains of the old monastery of the Order of Saint Jerome in the 16th century, conserving many of the fundamental aspects, including the church, cloister and a few dependencies. The architecture is an eclectic design, influenced by many architectural styles. The design was a project of the Baron von Eschwege and Ferdinand II, to substitute the Sintra National Palace
Sintra National Palace
The Sintra National Palace , also called Town Palace is located in the town of Sintra, in Portugal near Lisbon....
as a summer residence, and alternate destination to the summer residence in Cascais. After Sintra, in the months of September and October, the monarchs Louis of Portugal (1861-1889) and Carlos of Portugal ended their summers with visits to Cascais.
In 1854, the first contract was signed to construct a raillink to connect Sintra to Lisbon. A decree, signed on 26 June 1855, regulated the contract between the government and Count Claranges Lucotte, which was later rescinded in 1861. The final connect was finally inaugurated on 2 April 1887.
By the beginning of the 20th century, Sintra was recognized as a summer place, visited by aristocrats and millionaires. Among these, Carvalho Monteiro, owner of a considerable fortune (known as "Monteiro dos Milhões") constructed, near the main town on an estate he bought from the Baroness of Regaleira, a luxurious revivalist palacette, based on a Neo-Manueline architecture.
Between the second half of the 19th century, and the first decades of the 20th century, Sintra turned into a privileged place for artists: musicians, such as Viana da Mota; composers, such as Alfredo Keil
Alfredo Keil
Alfredo Cristiano Keil was a Portuguese romantic composer and painter.Keil was born in Lisbon, the son of Johann Christian Keil and wife Maria Josefina Stellflug...
; painters, like Cristino da Silva (the author of one of the most celebrated canvases of Portuguese Romantic art, "Cinco Artistas em Sintra"); writers, such as Eça de Queiróz or Ramalho Ortigão
Ramalho Ortigão
José Duarte Ramalho Ortigão was a Portuguese writer of the late 19th century and early 20th century. He spent his early years with his maternal grandmother in Oporto....
, all these people resided, worked or obtained inspiration from the Sintran landscapes.
Republic
The proclamation of a Portuguese Republic in 1910, transformed the bohemian climate of Sintra. After 1910, economic development was promoted; the potential benefits in agriculture, industry and commerce to the region, especially after the 1908 delimitation of a vineyard zone in Colares, was used to foster development in the region. A commission was established to monitor the quality of wines, promote its exportation, and by 1914 commercial association established to manage their concession. Meanwhile, in the name of secular and popular "progress", cultural heritage was demolished, including the annexes of the medieval village bordering the Palace (1911) and the nave of the Church of the Misericórdia, was reduced to the presbyteryPresbytery (architecture)
The presbytery is the name for an area in a church building which is reserved for the clergy.In the oldest church it is separated by short walls, by small columns and pilasters in the Renaissance ones; it can also be raised, being reachable by a few steps, usually with railings....
for the benefit of a simple expansion of the road. The first decades of the 20th century represents the most rapid urbanization of the municipality, supported by its rail-link to Lisbon, and summer travellers.
The attack on patrimony lead to the creation of institutions, in the second half of the 20th century, to study and protect the vast artistic patrimony during the 1920s. The Instituto Histórico de Sintra (Historic Institute of Sintra), under the direction of Afonso de Ornelas, had an important part to play in this period. Archaeological studies resulted in considerable development: in 1927, Félix Alves Pereira rediscovered the Neolithic settlements of Santa Eufémia, and the first publication of the discoveries at the prehistoric monuments of Praia das Maçãs were completed in 1929. From this period, until the 1970s, coastal Sintra began to become a summer destination, resulting in the construction of Portuguese summer homes. In this area, many of the important Portuguese architects developed projects in the first half of the 20th century, including Raul Lino, Norte Júnior and Tertuliano de Lacerda Marques. These project benefited the town and region, resulting in the natural growth of tourism and the residence of many notable Portuguese: historian Francisco Costa; writer Ferreira de Castro; scultpure Anjos Teixeira; architects Norte Júnior and Raul Lino; painters Eduardo Viana, Milly Possoz and Vieira da Silva; poet Oliva Guerra; composer and maestro Frederico de Freitas; historian Felix Alves Pereira and João Martins da Silva Marques.
An urban anarchy predominated until the middle of the 1980s, in the regions adjacent the main town of Sintra, resulting in new neighbourhoods. The 1949 municipal plan by De Groer, was elaborated to defend the town and its neighbourhood, from out of control urbanization, and resulted in the maintenance of an environment comparable to the 19th century Sintra.
Geography
Physical geography
Considered the Monte da Lua (Mountain of the Moon), or Promontorium Lunae, by the strong tradition of astral cults within the Sintra Mountains. The mountains, a massif granite surface, that stretches ten kilometres, abruptly emerging between a vast plain in the north and the northern margin of the Tagus River estuary, in a serpentine cordillera that winds towards the Atlantic Ocean and Cabo da RocaCabo da Roca
Cabo da Roca is a cape which forms the westernmost extent of mainland Portugal and continental Europe...
, the most westerly extent of continental Europe.
The São João platform, along the northern flank of the Sintra Mountains, has altitudes between 100 metres (109.4 yd) and 150 metres (164 yd), while the southern part of the mountains, the Cascais platform, is relatively lower in altitude: sloping from 150 metres (164 yd) to the sea, terminating along the coast, around 30 metres (32.8 yd) above sea level. The spectacular relief results from the east to west orientation along the massif's axis, its terminus at the coast, and the nature of igneous rocks, which are resistant to erosion. The Eruptive Massif of Sintra (MES) is a dome structure, formed by layers of sedimentary rocks (limestones and sandstones) from the Upper Jurassic and early Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
periods. A metamorphosed igneous intrusion, resulted in a narrow halo of metamorphic rocks, but also strongly deformed these sedimentary layers, causing a vertical exposure. While in the south there are enclosed sedimentary layers, to the north (around Praia Grande) the massif is steep. The sedimentary formations, until the beginning of the Upper Cretaceous, are deformed by the intrusion which limits the MES to the end the Cretaceous. The radiometric aging of different rocks from the massif indicated an age between 80 and 75 million years (confirming the installation of the massive Upper Cretaceous).
The geodynamic conditions that controlled the formation of the MES (correlated with the development of the Sines and Monchique Eruptive Massifs) are associated with the progressive northern expansion of the Atlantic Ocean and the consequent opening of the Bay of Biscay
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
. The Bay of Biscay's expansion resulted in complex tensions responsible for profound fractures in the earth's crust, that were conduits for the ascension of magma. This magma spread across the surface as a superficial crust, with a depth of 5 kilometre around 80 million years ago between sedimentary layers (160 to 9 million years old) that were chemically metamorphosed. Over time the magma chamber cooled and crystallized, resulting in conditions that caused the granular textures that characterize the MES. The weaker sedimentary layers were susceptible to erosion, and their products were deposited around their base. Consequently, the massif likely became exposed during the Paleogenic epoch (30 million years ago), known as the Benfica Complex.
The Mediterranean climate, influenced by the Atlantic, is typical of continental Portugal, characterized by moderate temperatures and wet winters. Although the climate in area of Cabo da Roca is semi-arid, the Sintra Mountains is considered moderately humid. In fact, precipitation in the mountains are more elevated then in the areas circling the mountains. The position of the municipality, within the natural landscape of the Sintra Mountains
Sintra Mountains
The Sintra Mountains or locally the Serra De Sintra is a mountain range in western Portugal. Its highest point is is near Sintra. The range covers about 10 miles from the resort town of Sintra to Cabo da Roca on the Atlantic Ocean...
(consisting of an exuberant natural patrimony), is influenced by the existence of a micro-climate. For different reasons (the climate here has been proportioned by the Sintra Mountains; the fertility of the lands deposited; and its relative proximity to the Tagus estuary) the region has attracted a large early settlement. Due to its micro-climate, a huge park has developed, full of rich, dense foliage, with a rich botanical diversity, constituting groups of a national forest.
Situated along the coast, the temperate climate and humidity, favours the growth of a rich mat of forest, that includes species of Atlantic and Mediterranean species, marking the transition from northern to southern vegetation of the country. The Pyrenean oak (Quercus pyrenaica) predominantly covers a great expansion of the rocky heights, and sheltered slopes. Along moist, shady slopes, normally facing north or in sheltered places the common oak (Quercus robur) are common, in lowlands and warm places the Cork oak (Quercus suber), while in areas of limestone the Portuguese oak (Quercus faginea) are common. In addition, there are other species that scattered throughout the mountains of Sintra, that include: maples (Acer pseudoplatanus), common hazel (Corylus avellana
Corylus avellana
Corylus avellana, the Common Hazel, is a species of hazel native to Europe and western Asia, from the British Isles south to Iberia, Greece, Turkey and Cyprus, north to central Scandinavia, and east to the central Ural Mountains, the Caucasus, and northwestern Iran. It is an important component of...
), common hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), European holly (Ilex aquifolium), Portuguese laurel (Prunus lusitanica
Prunus lusitanica
Prunus lusitanica, with common name Portugal laurel, is a species of cherry, native to southwestern France, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, and Macaronesia .-Distribution:...
), Bay laurel (Laurus nobilis), Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), Laurestine (Viburnum tinus
Viburnum tinus
Viburnum tinus is a species of flowering plant in the genus Viburnum, belonging to the family Adoxaceae. Laurus signifies the leaves' similarities to bay laurel; tinus means "tenth born".-Description: It is a shrub reaching up to 2-7 m tall, with a dense, rounded crown...
), Kermes oak (Quercus coccifera), and Italian buckthorn (Rhamnus alaternus
Rhamnus alaternus
Rhamnus alaternus is a species of flowering plant in the buckthorn family known by the common name of Italian Buckthorn or Mediterranean Buckthorn.-Etymology:...
). Along the valleys, near the courses of the waterways, grow Narrow-leaf ash (Fraxinus angustifolia), Grey willow (Salix atrocinerea
Salix atrocinerea
Salix atrocinerea, commonly called grey willow, is a species of willow....
), European alder (Alnus glutinosa), Alder bukthorn (Rhamnus frangula
Rhamnus frangula
Frangula alnus, syn. Rhamnus frangula, the Alder Buckthorn, is a tall deciduous shrub in the family Rhamnaceae. It is native to Europe, northernmost Africa, and western Asia, from Ireland and Great Britain north to 68°N in Scandinavia, east to central Siberia and Xinjiang in western China, and...
) and Black Elderberry (Sambucus nigra
Sambucus nigra
Sambucus nigra is a species complex of elder native to most of Europe.It is most commonly called Elder, Elderberry, Black Elder, European Elder, European Elderberry, European Black Elderberry, Common Elder, or Elder Bush when distinction from other species of Sambucus is needed...
).
Since 1966, the Sintra Mountains has been affected by fires that have destroyed a major part of the original forest, which has been substituted by acacia and other fast-growing exotic species. The forested area of the Sintra mountains is about 5000 hectares (50 km²), of which 26% (1300 hectares (13 km²)) are maintained by the State, through the Direcção Geral de Florestas-Núcleo Florestal de Sintra (General Directorate of Forests: Sintra Forestry Service).
Human Geography
The municipality is administered by 20 civil parish councils, with local authority to administer services and provide local governance, that include:
- Agualva (Agualva-CacémAgualva-CacémAgualva-Cacém is a Portuguese city located in Sintra Municipality. It comprises the parishes of Agualva, Cacém, Mira-Sintra, and São Marcos. The city has a population of 81,845. It is mainland Europe's westernmost city....
) - Algueirão-Mem Martins
- Almargem do Bispo
- Belas
- Cacém (Agualva-CacémAgualva-CacémAgualva-Cacém is a Portuguese city located in Sintra Municipality. It comprises the parishes of Agualva, Cacém, Mira-Sintra, and São Marcos. The city has a population of 81,845. It is mainland Europe's westernmost city....
) - Casal de Cambra
- ColaresColares (Sintra)Colares is a civil parish along the coast of the municipality of Sintra. In 2001, it had a resident population of 7472 inhabitants dispersed in an area of 33.37 km².-History:...
- MassamáMassamáMassamá is a Portuguese parish, located in the municipality of Sintra, and a suburb of Lisbon. Separated from Queluz in 1997, it has an area of 2.78 km² and a population of 28,176 The parish consists of three different zones...
(Queluz) - Mira-Sintra (Agualva-CacémAgualva-CacémAgualva-Cacém is a Portuguese city located in Sintra Municipality. It comprises the parishes of Agualva, Cacém, Mira-Sintra, and São Marcos. The city has a population of 81,845. It is mainland Europe's westernmost city....
) - Monte Abraão (Queluz)
- Montelavar
- Pero Pinheiro
- QueluzQueluz (Sintra)Queluz is a Portuguese city and parish ,located in the municipality of Sintra, in the Lisbon District. The city of Queluz, which includes the parishes of Queluz, Massamá and Monte Abraão, has a combined population of approximately 111,424 and it is located in the municipality of Sintra, in the...
(Queluz) - Rio de MouroRio de MouroRio de Mouro is a town and civil parish in the municipality of Sintra, Portugal. It's located at a distance of 15 km from the capital, Lisbon. In 2001, the population in the parish was 46.022....
- São João das LampasSão João das LampasSão João das Lampas is a Portuguese civil parish, located in the municipality of Sintra....
- São Marcos (Agualva-CacémAgualva-CacémAgualva-Cacém is a Portuguese city located in Sintra Municipality. It comprises the parishes of Agualva, Cacém, Mira-Sintra, and São Marcos. The city has a population of 81,845. It is mainland Europe's westernmost city....
) - Santa Maria e São Miguel
- São Martinho
- São Pedro de PenaferrimSão Pedro de PenaferrimSão Pedro de Penaferrim is a Portuguese civil parish, located in the municipality of Sintra. Many of Sintra's historical monuments are located in São Pedro de Penaferrim, including the Pena Palace andthe Castle of the Moors....
- Terrugem
Sintra has grown considerably in the late 20th century, passing from about 14% of the region of Lisbon to 19%, with the concentration of resident population be found in the important Queluz-Portela corridor, along the southeast corner of the municipality. This region concentrated approximately 82% of the municipalities population, with the most attractive parishes being limited to São Pedro de Penaferim, Rio de Mouro, Belas and Algueirão-Mem Martins.
With the decrease in mortality rates, the region has undergone a general increase in infant births, primarily associated with late births, but also a increase in seniors in the community (56.5% in 2001). Yet, Sintra is still considered the municipality with a structurally young population, the youngest in the Greater Metropolitan Area of Lisbon. Young adults (30-39 year olds) dominate communities of Sintra, with the parishes of Pêro Pinheiro, Terrugem, São Martinho, São João das Lampas, Santa Maria e São Miguel, Montelavar, Colares, Queluz and Almargem do Bispo, with higher rates of seniors or dependent seniors in the population. Approximately 80% of the population are born outside the municipality, with 21% of these numbers being foreign born residents. While the resident population in Lisbon has seen a gentle decrease since the mid-1960s, Sintra has grown comparably.
Urban areas represent 55.4 square kilometres (5,540 ha) of the municipality, or approximately 17.4% of Sintra's territory), of which 35% of the population reside in places of between 50,000 and 100,000 inhabitants. Many of these areas are anchored to the lines of accessibility, and in particular, the Sintra Line and IC19 motorway, that connects the principal cities of Queluz, Agualva-Cacém, Algueirão/Mem Martins, Rio de Mouro and Belas). Many of these urban areas are composed of a fabric of building projects that have historically resulted in dense buildings of concrete, normally seven or more floors in height. The greatest growth in residential homes have occurred in the south of the municipality, in the triangle of São Pedro de Penaferrim, Santa Maria e São Miguel and Casal de Cambra. In addition, there is a major concentration and growth in family dwellings of a seasonal nature, or second-homes in this region, while a proliferation of illegal buildings/construction in the parishes of São João das Lampas, São Pedro de Penaferrim, Belas, Agualva-Cacém and Casal de Cambra.
Economy
The growth of tertiary activities have occupied an important place in employment in the region, with commercial, retail and support services predominating. This has been to the detriment of industrial activities; yet, industrial activities within the municipality continue to be the transport of materials, mineral processing, the manufacture of machinery and equipment, food-processing, beverage and tobacco companies, in addition to the editing industries and printing services. Comparably, there has been a dramatic growth in the civil construction industry.Architecture
Although the municipality has a great number of preserved or classified architectural buildings, only the following have been defined by the state-run Instituto de Gestão do Património Arquitectónico e Arqueológico (IGESPAR) ( Institute for the Management of Architectural and Archaeological Heritage) as national monuments:Prehistoric
- Dolmen of Adrenunes
- Dolmen of Agualva
- Dolmen of Estria
- Dolmen of Monte Abraão
- Prehistoric Monument of Praia das Maçãs
- Tholos tomb of Monge
Civic
- Aguas Livres AqueductÁguas Livres AqueductThe Águas Livres Aqueduct is a historic aqueduct in the city of Lisbon, Portugal. It is one of the most remarkable examples of 18th-century Portuguese engineering...
-Sintra Line - Estate of Penha Verde
- Mansion of Penha Verde
- National Palace of PenaPena National PalaceThe Pena National Palace is a Romanticist palace in São Pedro de Penaferrim, municipality of Sintra, Portugal. The palace stands on the top of a hill above the town of Sintra, and on a clear day it can be easily seen from Lisbon and much of its metropolitan area. It is a national monument and...
- National Palace of QueluzQueluz National PalaceThe Queluz National Palace is a Portuguese 18th-century palace located at Queluz, a freguesia of the modern-day Sintra Municipality, in the Lisbon District. One of the last great Rococo buildings to be designed in Europe, the palace was conceived as a summer retreat for Dom Pedro of Braganza,...
- National Palace of SintraSintra National PalaceThe Sintra National Palace , also called Town Palace is located in the town of Sintra, in Portugal near Lisbon....
- Palacette of the Counts of Almeida-Araújo
- Pillory of Colares
Military
- Castle of the MoorsCastle of the Moors (Sintra)The Castle of the Moors is a hilltop medieval castle located in the central Portuguese civil parish of Santa Maria e São Miguel, in the municipality of Sintra...
Religious
- Church of Santa Maria
- Convent of Penha Longa