Vila Franca de Xira
Encyclopedia
Vila Franca de Xira (ˈvilɐ ˈfɾɐ̃kɐ ðɨ ˈʃiɾɐ) is a municipality in Portugal
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...

 with a total area of 317.7 km² and a total population of 133,224 inhabitants. Situated on the west bank of the Tagus River, just 32 km north-east of the Portuguese capital 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...

, Vila Franca de Xira is said to have been founded by French followers of Portugal's first king, Afonso Henriques
Afonso I of Portugal
Afonso I or Dom Afonso Henriques , more commonly known as Afonso Henriques , nicknamed "the Conqueror" , "the Founder" or "the Great" by the Portuguese, and El-Bortukali and Ibn-Arrik by the Moors whom he fought, was the first King of Portugal...

, around 1200.

The town is mostly famous for its bull-running festivals in July and October. Bulls are raised in the salty marshlands 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...

, which is also a notable breeding ground for the magnificent Lusitano
Lusitano
The Lusitano is a Portuguese horse breed, closely related to the Spanish Andalusian horse. Both are sometimes called Iberian horses, as the breeds both developed on the Iberian peninsula, and until the 1960s they were considered one breed, under the Andalusian name...

 horse, esteemed for its quick reflexes and maneuverability.

A number of brightly-coloured Portuguese bullfighting
Portuguese-style bullfighting
Portuguese-style bullfighting differs in many aspects from Spanish-style bullfighting. The cavaleiros and the forcados are unique as well as the horsewomen .-Main figures:...

 costumes are on display in the ethnographic museum in the town's bullring
Bullring
A bullring is an arena where bullfighting is performed. Bullrings are often associated with Spain, but they can also be found in neighboring countries and the New World...

, the Praça de Toiros (or Touros) Palha Blanco. Nearby, the town's Misericórdia church features striking 18th-century azulejo
Azulejo
Azulejo from the Arabic word Zellige زليج is a form of Portuguese or Spanish painted, tin-glazed, ceramic tilework. They have become a typical aspect of Portuguese culture, having been produced without interruption for five centuries...

s (glazed tiles). You can find too the Museum of Neo-Realism.

3 km south of Vila Franca de Xira lies the Lezíria Grande Equestrian Centre, where visitors can watch stylish displays of the impressive Lusitano horses. The centre also stages typical bullfighting spectacles in its outdoor bullring. Visitors can ride Lusitano horses and take dressage lessons at the Quinta de São Sebastião, a sprawling estate at Arruda dos Vinhos
Arruda dos Vinhos
Arruda dos Vinhos is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 78.0 km² and a total population of 11,210 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of 4 parishes, and is located in Lisboa District....

, 11 km west of Vila Franca de Xira.

The municipality is composed of 11 parishes, and is located in the Lisbon District.

The present Mayor is Maria da Luz Rosinha, elected by the Socialist Party
Portuguese Socialist Party
The Portuguese Socialist Party was a political party in Portugal.The party was founded in 1875. During its initial phase the party was heavily influenced by Proudhonism, and rejected revolutionary Marxism. The party suffered constant factional struggles...

.

Demographics

Vila Franca de Xira Municipality (1801–2008)
1801 1849 1900 1930 1960 1981 1991 2001 2008
3 839 5 202 15 766 24 053 40 594 88 193 103 571 122 908 142 163

Parishes

  • Alhandra
  • Alverca do Ribatejo
    Alverca do Ribatejo
    Alverca do Ribatejo is a city and a parish in Vila Franca de Xira Municipality in Portugal. It covers an area of 17.89 km² and had a population of 29,086 as of 2001. It was promoted to city status in 1990. It is a city and a suburb near the Tagus River , in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area...

  • Cachoeiras
  • Calhandriz
  • Castanheira do Ribatejo
    Castanheira do Ribatejo
    Castanheira do Ribatejo is a town in Portugal....

  • Forte da Casa
    Forte da Casa
    Forte da Casa is a town in Portugal....

  • Póvoa de Santa Iria
    Póvoa de Santa Iria
    Póvoa de Santa Iria is a city and civil parish in the municipality of Vila Franca de Xira, Portugal....

  • São João dos Montes
  • Sobralinho
  • Vialonga
  • Vila Franca de Xira

External links

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