Montijo () is a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality ...
in
Setúbal District
The District of Setúbal ( pt, Distrito de Setúbal ) is a district located in the south-west of Portugal. It is named for its capital, the city of Setúbal.
Geography
It is delimited by Lisbon District and Santarém District on the north, ...
in Portugal. Its name was Aldeia Galega do Ribatejo or simply Aldeia Galega until 1930. The population in 2021 was 55,732,
[Instituto Nacional de Estatística]
/ref> in an area of 348.62 km2. The town of Montijo proper had a population of 25,719 in 2001.
It is one of the few municipalities in Portugal without territorial continuity; that is, its component parts are not conjoined. It is located in the Lisbon metropolitan area
The Lisbon Metropolitan Area ( pt, Área Metropolitana de Lisboa; abbreviated as AML) is a metropolitan area in Portugal centered on Lisbon, the capital and largest city of the country. The metropolitan area, covering 18 municipalities is the ...
.
History
Montijo was known as Aldeia Galega until July 6, 1930, in spite of the fact that it was a small town and no longer a village. It was elevated to city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be de ...
status on August 14, 1985.
Paleolithic vestiges of human settlement suggest that the region was occupied into the pre-history. Yet, the first historical references date to the 12th century, in 1186, with the donations of religious and hereditary lands to Paio Peres, that initiated formal occupation.[
Initially, the settlement was a constituted of poor hovels, that were villages for fishermen and farmers, but by the 14th century, the area had developed into a sizeable centre, with its own church, dedicated to São Sebastião.
During the reigns of Afonso IV, Pedro and ]Fernando
Fernando is a Spanish and Portuguese given name and a surname common in Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Switzerland, former Spanish or Portuguese colonies in Latin America, Africa, the Philippines, India, and Sri Lanka. It is equivalent to the G ...
, Montijo was awarded various privileges that John I John I may refer to:
People
* John I (bishop of Jerusalem)
* John Chrysostom (349 – c. 407), Patriarch of Constantinople
* John of Antioch (died 441)
* Pope John I, Pope from 523 to 526
* John I (exarch) (died 615), Exarch of Ravenna
* John ...
later confirmed in 1385.[ For a long time, the place formed one ecclesiastical parish with neighboring Alcochete, whose seat was in the village of Santa Maria de Sabonha, in the parish of São Francisco.][ On 15 September 1514, Manuel I conceded a ]foral
200px, Foral of Castro Verde - Portugal
The word ''foral'' ({{IPA-pt, fuˈɾaɫ, eu, plural: ''forais'') is a noun derived from the Portuguese word ''foro'', ultimately from Latin ''forum'', equivalent to Spanish ''fuero'', Galician ''foro'', C ...
(''charter''), which was quickly renewed on 17 January 1515, with Alcochete.[
In 1539, the centres separated resulting in administrative autonomy.][ The grand postmaster, Luís Afonso, established his seat in the south in 1533, due to its geographic conditions and close proximity to Spain and southern Portugal. A year earlier, John III had registered the title to the village of ''Aldea Galega''.][
Over the years, many monarch passed through Montijo, such as the future ]John IV of Portugal
John IV ( pt, João, ; 19 March 1604 – 6 November 1656), nicknamed John the Restorer ( pt, João, o Restaurador), was the King of Portugal whose reign, lasting from 1640 until his death, began the Portuguese restoration of independence from H ...
, who arrived on 5 December 1640, to enthusiastic cheers from the nobles, clerics and people of the village.[
In 1808 Montijo suffered the roaming attacks and pillage of French forces.][
Twenty one years later, a carriage post between Montijo and Badajoz/Madrid, which was of short duration and lasted until 1831.][ In 1843, during an official visit, Queen ]Maria II of Portugal
, image = Queen Maria II by John Simpson.jpg
, caption = Portrait by John Simpson, 1835
, succession = Queen of Portugal
, reign =
, predecessor = Pedro IV
, successor = Miguel I
, reg-type = Regents
, regent ...
necessitated the carriage, allowing a 26-hour trip from Montijo to Badajoz. But, the service was suspended in 1864.[
Aldeia Galega was one of the first centres to celebrate the implantation of the 5 October 1910 revolution, before Lisbon and other major centres.][
]
Climate
Transport
The Vasco da Gama Bridge
The Vasco da Gama Bridge ( pt, Ponte Vasco da Gama; ) is a cable-stayed bridge flanked by viaducts that spans the Tagus River in Parque das Nações in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. It is the second longest bridge in Europe, after the C ...
, inaugurated in 1998, connects Montijo with the capital city of Lisbon. Numerous roads, including the IC13, provide access to the south, east and west of Portugal.
Although the train service via the Ramal do Montijo rail line was discontinued, Montijo maintains a network of public transportation that connects it to other nearby major cities and villages by bus and by a river service connecting it with Lisbon.
Parishes
Administratively, the municipality is divided into 5 civil parishes (''freguesias
''Freguesia'' (), usually translated as " parish" or "civil parish", is the third-level administrative subdivision of Portugal, as defined by the 1976 Constitution. It is also the designation for local government jurisdictions in the former ...
''):
* Atalaia e Alto Estanqueiro-Jardia
* Canha
* Montijo e Afonsoeiro
* Pegões
* Sarilhos Grandes
Panorama
Notable people
* Fialho Gouveia (1935–2004), TV entertainment pioneer and former radio host
* Jorge Peixinho (1940-1995), composer, pianist and conductor
* Dulce Pontes
Dulce José Silva Pontes (; born 8 April 1969) is a Portuguese songwriter and singer who performs in many musical styles, including pop, folk, and classical music. She is usually defined as a world music artist. Her songs contributed to the 199 ...
(born 1969), songwriter and pop, folk and classical music singer; helped revive fado
Fado (; "destiny, fate") is a music genre that can be traced to the 1820s in Lisbon, Portugal, but probably has much earlier origins. Fado historian and scholar Rui Vieira Nery states that "the only reliable information on the history of fado wa ...
* Rosinha (born 1971), Pimba
Pimba is a Portuguese type of music with an uptempo style and folk song features, corny romantic or saucy and vulgar lyrics, which is often associated with a poorly educated public from rural areas or suburban poor neighbourhoods.
References
...
singer, songwriter and accordion player
* Catarina Marcelino
Catarina Marcelino (born 1971) is a Portuguese anthropologist and politician. She served as Secretary of State for Citizenship and Equality in the 21st Portuguese Constitutional Government between 2015 and 2017 and was a deputy in the Assembly o ...
(born 1971), anthropologist, politician and Govt. minister
Sport
* Custódio Pinto
Custódio João Pinto (9 February 1942 – 21 February 2004) was a Portuguese Association football, footballer who played as a Midfielder#Central midfielder, central midfielder.
Club career
Born in Montijo (parish), Montijo, Setúbal District, Pi ...
(1942–2004), footballer
* Paulo Futre
Paulo Jorge dos Santos Futre (; born 28 February 1966) is a Portuguese former footballer who played mostly as a left winger. He is one of the greatest natural talents of the Portugal.
After starting playing for Sporting, he moved to Porto – ...
(born 1966), footballer
* Ricardo (born 1976), footballer
International relations
Montijo has no twin towns, but has international cooperation protocols with:
* Água Grande, São Tomé and Príncipe, since 2013
* Santa Catarina, Cape Verde, since 2010
* Svoge, Bulgaria, since 2010
References
External links
Town Hall official website
Photos from Montijo
{{Authority control
Cities in Portugal
Populated places in Setúbal District
Municipalities of Setúbal District