Tavira
Encyclopedia
Tavira is a Portuguese city, situated at 37°07' north, 7°39' west in the east of the Algarve on the south coast of Portugal
. It is 30 km east of Faro
and 160 km west of Seville
in Spain. The Gilão River meets the Atlantic Ocean in Tavira.
(1.000-800 BC). In the 8th century BC it became one of the first Phoenicia
n settlements in the Iberian West
. The Phoenicians created a colonial urban center here with massive walls, at least two temples, two harbours and a regular urban structure. Phoenician Tavira existed until the end of 6th Century BC, when it was destroyed by conflict.
It is thought its original name was Baal Saphon
, named after the Phoenicia
n Thunder and Sea god. This name later became Balsa
.
After a century of being abandoned, the settlement recovered, during the urban bloom that characterised the so called Tartessian
Period, and became bigger than ever. This second urban center, Tartessian Tavira, was also abandoned by the end of the 4th Century BC.
The main centre then moved to nearby Cerro do Cavaco, a fortified hill occupied until the time of Emperor Augustus
.
created a new port, some 7 km from Tavira, named Balsa.
Balsa became a big town, in fact much bigger than Tavira, that grew, prospered and decayed in parallel with the Roman Empire. When the Moors
conquered Iberia, in the 8th Century, Balsa was already extinct as a town.
Under Roman rule, Tavira was a secondary passing place on the important road between Balsa
and Baesuris (today Castro Marim
).
(the West of Islamic Iberian territories).
(Extensive bibliography about these historical periods can be seen at www.arqueotavira.com)
Paio Peres Correia
took Tavira back from the Moors in a bloody conflict of retaliation after seven of his principal Knights were killed during a period of truce, the population of the town was decimated during this battle. Christians were now back in control of Tavira and though most Muslims left the town some remained in a Moorish quarter known as "Mouraria".
in the Algarve.
. The church of Santa Maria do Castelo, built on the site of a Moorish mosque, holds the tombs of Dom Paio Peres Correia and his knights. The church dates from the 13th century and the clock tower has been remodeled from the original Muslim minaret. A bust of Dom Paio Perres Correia who died in 1275 can be seen on the corner of the town hall. Its original economic reliance on the fishing industry has now passed due to changed migration patterns of Tuna
and further silting up of the river Gilao. The population is in the region of 25,000 inhabitants(municipality of Tavira) supporting a military base whilst the surrounding area is still fairly rural and undeveloped. This is now changing due to the demands of the tourist industry and opening of golf courses in the near vicinity. The beach for this town lies past the salt pans and is reached by a ferryboat that takes the visitor to the sand-bar island known as Ilha de Tavira, part of the Ria Formosa
. The island and beaches can also be reached from the nearby footbridge in Santa Luzia
.
In recent years the architecturally attractive town has attracted visitors and house prices have increased sharply. The development of many golf clubs close to the town has also had an effect.
with: Łańcut in Poland
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...
. It is 30 km east of Faro
Faro, Portugal
Faro is the southernmost city in Portugal. It is located in the Faro Municipality in southern Portugal. The city proper has 41,934 inhabitants and the entire municipality has 58,305. It is the seat of the Faro District and capital of the Algarve region...
and 160 km west of Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
in Spain. The Gilão River meets the Atlantic Ocean in Tavira.
Bronze Age to the Roman Empire
Tavira's origins date back to the late Bronze AgeBronze 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...
(1.000-800 BC). In the 8th century BC it became one of the first Phoenicia
Phoenicia
Phoenicia , was an ancient civilization in Canaan which covered most of the western, coastal part of the Fertile Crescent. Several major Phoenician cities were built on the coastline of the Mediterranean. It was an enterprising maritime trading culture that spread across the Mediterranean from 1550...
n settlements in the Iberian West
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
. The Phoenicians created a colonial urban center here with massive walls, at least two temples, two harbours and a regular urban structure. Phoenician Tavira existed until the end of 6th Century BC, when it was destroyed by conflict.
It is thought its original name was Baal Saphon
Baal
Baʿal is a Northwest Semitic title and honorific meaning "master" or "lord" that is used for various gods who were patrons of cities in the Levant and Asia Minor, cognate to Akkadian Bēlu...
, named after the Phoenicia
Phoenicia
Phoenicia , was an ancient civilization in Canaan which covered most of the western, coastal part of the Fertile Crescent. Several major Phoenician cities were built on the coastline of the Mediterranean. It was an enterprising maritime trading culture that spread across the Mediterranean from 1550...
n Thunder and Sea god. This name later became Balsa
Balsa (Roman town)
Balsa was a Roman coastal town in Hispania, province of Lusitania, Conventus Pacensis .The modern location is in the rural estates of Torre d'Aires, Antas and Arroio, parish of Luz de Tavira, county of Tavira, district of Faro, in Algarve, Southern Portugal.- Name origin:BALSA is a pre-Roman...
.
After a century of being abandoned, the settlement recovered, during the urban bloom that characterised the so called Tartessian
Tartessos
Tartessos or Tartessus was a harbor city and surrounding culture on the south coast of the Iberian peninsula , at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River. It appears in sources from Greece and the Near East starting in the middle of the first millennium BC, for example Herodotus, who describes it as...
Period, and became bigger than ever. This second urban center, Tartessian Tavira, was also abandoned by the end of the 4th Century BC.
The main centre then moved to nearby Cerro do Cavaco, a fortified hill occupied until the time of Emperor Augustus
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
.
The Roman Empire to the Moorish Conquest
During the time of Caesar, the RomansRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
created a new port, some 7 km from Tavira, named Balsa.
Balsa became a big town, in fact much bigger than Tavira, that grew, prospered and decayed in parallel with the Roman Empire. When the Moors
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
conquered Iberia, in the 8th Century, Balsa was already extinct as a town.
Under Roman rule, Tavira was a secondary passing place on the important road between Balsa
Balsa (Roman town)
Balsa was a Roman coastal town in Hispania, province of Lusitania, Conventus Pacensis .The modern location is in the rural estates of Torre d'Aires, Antas and Arroio, parish of Luz de Tavira, county of Tavira, district of Faro, in Algarve, Southern Portugal.- Name origin:BALSA is a pre-Roman...
and Baesuris (today Castro Marim
Castro Marim
Castro Marim is a town and a municipality in the southern region of Algarve, in Portugal. The municipality is composed of 4 parishes.The present Mayor is José Fernandes Estevens, elected by the Social Democratic Party.The municipal holiday is June 24....
).
Moorish Rule
The Moorish occupation of Tavira between the 8th and 13th centuries left its mark on the agriculture, architecture and culture of the area. That influence can still be seen in Tavira today with its whitewashed buildings, Moorish style doors and rooftops. A castle, two mosques and palaces were built by the Moors. The impressive seven arched "Roman bridge" is now not considered to be Roman after a recent archaeological survey, but originates from a 12th Century Moorish bridge. This was a good time economically for Tavira, which established itself an important port for sailors and fishermen. The area stayed rural until the 11th Century when Moorish Tavira (from the Arabic Tabira, "the hidden") started to grow rapidly, becoming one of the important (and independent) towns of the Algarve, then the South-Western extreme of Gharb al-AndalusAl'Garb Al'Andalus
The Al-Gharb Al-Andalus , or just Al-Gharb , was the name given by the Moors of Iberia to the modern region of Algarve and, by extension, to most of Portugal.-See also:*Timeline of Portuguese history...
(the West of Islamic Iberian territories).
(Extensive bibliography about these historical periods can be seen at www.arqueotavira.com)
The Reconquista
In 1242 DomDon (honorific)
Don, from Latin dominus, is an honorific in Spanish , Portuguese , and Italian . The female equivalent is Doña , Dona , and Donna , abbreviated "Dª" or simply "D."-Usage:...
Paio Peres Correia
Paio Peres Correia
D. Paio Peres Correia, a notable medieval Christian conqueror, who was born c. 1205, in Monte de Fralães, in the district of Barcelos in Portugal....
took Tavira back from the Moors in a bloody conflict of retaliation after seven of his principal Knights were killed during a period of truce, the population of the town was decimated during this battle. Christians were now back in control of Tavira and though most Muslims left the town some remained in a Moorish quarter known as "Mouraria".
The 1755 Earthquake
In the 17th Century the port on its river was of considerable importance, shipping produce such as salt, dried fish and wine. Like most of the Algarve its buildings were virtually all destroyed by the earthquake of 1755. This earthquake is thought to have reached a magnitude of 9 on the Richter scale and caused extensive damage throughout the Algarve due to shockwaves and tsunamis. The earthquake is referred to as the Lisbon Earthquake due to its terrible effects on the capital city, although the epicentre was some 200 km west-southwest of Cape St. VincentCape St. Vincent
Cape St. Vincent , next to the Sagres Point, on the so-called Costa Vicentina , is a headland in the municipality of Sagres, in the Algarve, southern Portugal.- Description :This cape is the southwesternmost point in Portugal...
in the Algarve.
Demographics
| Pop. Tavira Municipality (1801–2008) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1801 | 1849 | 1900 | 1930 | 1940 | 1960 | 1981 | 1991 | 2001 | 2008 |
| 10 557 | 14 162 | 25 392 | 27 786 | 28 920 | 27 798 | 24 615 | 24 857 | 24 997 | 25 394 |
Tavira today
The city has since been rebuilt with many fine 18th century buildings along with its 37 churches. A 'Roman' (actually Moorish) bridge links the two parts of the town across the River GilãoRiver Gilão
The Gilão is a river in southern Portugal. It is approachable from the Atlantic Ocean, where it enters at the town of Tavira in the Algarve, 35 km east of Faro. The channel is clear, but a bit meandering. There is a large tide swing of about 9 feet. There are extensive mariculture clam beds...
. The church of Santa Maria do Castelo, built on the site of a Moorish mosque, holds the tombs of Dom Paio Peres Correia and his knights. The church dates from the 13th century and the clock tower has been remodeled from the original Muslim minaret. A bust of Dom Paio Perres Correia who died in 1275 can be seen on the corner of the town hall. Its original economic reliance on the fishing industry has now passed due to changed migration patterns of Tuna
Tuna
Tuna is a salt water fish from the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. Tuna are fast swimmers, and some species are capable of speeds of . Unlike most fish, which have white flesh, the muscle tissue of tuna ranges from pink to dark red. The red coloration derives from myoglobin, an...
and further silting up of the river Gilao. The population is in the region of 25,000 inhabitants(municipality of Tavira) supporting a military base whilst the surrounding area is still fairly rural and undeveloped. This is now changing due to the demands of the tourist industry and opening of golf courses in the near vicinity. The beach for this town lies past the salt pans and is reached by a ferryboat that takes the visitor to the sand-bar island known as Ilha de Tavira, part of the Ria Formosa
Ria Formosa
The Ria Formosa lagoon, located in Algarve, in southern Portugal, is a system of barrier islands that communicates with the sea through 6 inlets. Five of these inlets are natural and have mobility characteristics...
. The island and beaches can also be reached from the nearby footbridge in Santa Luzia
Santa Luzia (Tavira)
Santa Luzia is a freguesia in the municipality of Tavira . It is considered the "capital do Polvo" or "capital of octopus" which is a local speciality....
.
In recent years the architecturally attractive town has attracted visitors and house prices have increased sharply. The development of many golf clubs close to the town has also had an effect.
Parishes/Freguesias
The municipality of Tavira is split into 9 freguesias or parishes as follows:- Cabanas de TaviraCabanas de TaviraCabanas de Tavira is a civil parish, and former fishing village, in the municipality of Tavira, in the Portuguese Algarve. The parish covers an area of approximately 4.2 km², and encompasses a resident population of approximately 1181 inhabitants...
- CachopoCachopoCachopo is a freguesia in the municipality of Tavira ....
- Conceição de TaviraConceição de TaviraConceição de Tavira is a freguesia in the municipality of Tavira ....
- Luz de TaviraLuz de TaviraLuz de Tavira is a freguesia in the municipality of Tavira ....
- Santa Catarina da Fonte do BispoSanta Catarina da Fonte do BispoSanta Catarina da Fonte do Bispo is a freguesia in the municipality of Tavira .Its a tiny village filled with a beautiful old church, a small primary school and an Olive oil factory. In the summer they have party's and are famous for there folk dancing. Santa Catarina a Fonte do Bispo is...
- Santa LuziaSanta Luzia (Tavira)Santa Luzia is a freguesia in the municipality of Tavira . It is considered the "capital do Polvo" or "capital of octopus" which is a local speciality....
- Santo EstêvãoSanto EstêvãoSanto Estêvão is a freguesia in the municipality of Tavira ....
- Santa MariaSanta Maria (Tavira)Santa Maria de Tavira is a freguesia in the Tavira Municipality . It is the main parish of the city of Tavira.-External links:...
(city of Tavira) - SantiagoSantiago (Tavira)Santiago is a freguesia in the Tavira Municipality .-External links:...
(city of Tavira)
Twin towns — Sister cities
Tavira is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Łańcut in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...