Cascais () is a town and municipality in the

Lisbon District Lisbon District ( pt, Distrito de Lisboa, ) is a district located along the western coast of Portugal. The district capital is the city of Lisbon, which is also the national capital. From its creation until 1926, it included the area of the cur ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

, located on the

Portuguese Riviera The Portuguese Riviera (Portuguese: '' Riviera Portuguesa'') is a term used in the tourist industry for the affluent coastal region to the west of Lisbon, Portugal, centered on the coastal municipalities of Cascais (including Estoril), Oeiras ...

. The municipality has a total of 214,158 inhabitants in an area of 97.40 km². Cascais is an important

tourist destination A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural ...

. Its marina hosts events such as the America's Cup and the town of

Estoril Estoril () is a town in the Municipality of Cascais, Portugal, on the Portuguese Riviera. It is a tourist destination, with luxury hotels, beaches, and the Casino Estoril. It has been home to numerous royal families and celebrities, and has h ...

, part of the Cascais municipality, hosts conferences such as the

Horasis Global Meeting Horasis is an independent, international think tank, headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. Founded in 2005, by Frank-Jürgen Richter, former director of the World Economic Forum, Horasis is dedicated to the innovation and development of sustainab ...

. Cascais's history as a popular seaside resort originated in the 1870s, when King Luís I of Portugal and the

Portuguese royal family The Most Serene House of Braganza ( pt, Sereníssima Casa de Bragança), also known as the Brigantine Dynasty (''Dinastia Brigantina''), is a dynasty of emperors, kings, princes, and dukes of Portuguese people, Portuguese origin which reigned in ...

made the seaside town their residence every September, thus also attracting members of the

Portuguese nobility Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

, who established a summer community there. Cascais is known for the many members of royalty who have lived there, including King

Edward VIII of the United Kingdom Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire and Emperor of India from 20 January 19 ...

, when he was the Duke of Windsor, King

Juan Carlos I of Spain Juan Carlos I (;, * ca, Joan Carles I, * gl, Xoán Carlos I, Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, born 5 January 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 22 Novem ...

, and King

Umberto II of Italy en, Albert Nicholas Thomas John Maria of Savoy , house = Savoy , father = Victor Emmanuel III of Italy , mother = Princess Elena of Montenegro , birth_date = , birth_place = Racconigi, Piedmont, Kingdom of Italy , ...

. Exiled Cuban president

Fulgencio Batista Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar (; ; born Rubén Zaldívar, January 16, 1901 – August 6, 1973) was a Cuban military officer and politician who served as the elected president of Cuba from 1940 to 1944 and as its U.S.-backed military dictator ...

was also once a resident of the municipality. The

Casino Estoril The Estoril Casino ( pt, Casino do Estoril) is a casino in the Portuguese Riviera, in the municipality of Cascais, Portugal. Today, it is one of the biggest working casinos in Europe. History The first stone was laid on 16 January 1916 by then-P ...

inspired Ian Fleming's first

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

novel ''Casino Royale''. The municipality is one of the wealthiest in both Portugal and the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, def ...

. It has one of the most expensive real estate markets and one of the highest costs of living in the country and is consistently ranked highly for its quality of life.

History

Human settlement of the territory today known as Cascais dates to the late Paleolithic, as indicated by remnants encountered in the north of Talaíde, in Alto do Cabecinho (Tires) and south of Moinhos do Cabreiro. It was during the

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several p ...

that permanent settlements were established in the region, their inhabitants utilizing the natural grottoes (such as the Caves of Poço Velho in Cascais) and artificial shelters (like those in Alapraia or São Pedro) to deposit their dead. The bodies were buried along with offerings, a practice that continued to the

Chalcolithic The Copper Age, also called the Chalcolithic (; from grc-gre, χαλκός ''khalkós'', "copper" and ''líthos'', "stone") or (A)eneolithic (from Latin '' aeneus'' "of copper"), is an archaeological period characterized by regular ...

. Roman interventions in the area occurred with the settlement of the ''villae'' of Freiria (today São Domingos de Rana) and Casais Velhos (Charneca), evidence for which includes a group of ten tanks discovered along the ''Rua Marques Leal Pancada'' in Cascais, which was the location of a salting factory for fish. Roman dominion over the territory also influenced place names in the region, as was the case with the word "Caparide" (from the Latin ''capparis'', meaning "''

caper ''Capparis spinosa'', the caper bush, also called Flinders rose, is a perennial plant that bears rounded, fleshy leaves and large white to pinkish-white flowers. The plant is best known for the edible flower buds (capers), used as a seasoning ...

''"), as well as several inscriptions associated with funerary graves. The

Visigoths The Visigoths (; la, Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, Wisi) were an early Germanic people who, along with the Ostrogoths, constituted the two major political entities of the Goths within the Roman Empire in late antiquity, or what is ...

also left their mark especially on the Visigothic Cemetery of Alcoitão, as well as in the late-Roman and medieval necropolis of Talaíde. Similarly, Muslim settlers in the region left their mark on local place names, including "Alcoitão" and "Alcabideche", where the romantic poet Ibn Muqana al-Qabdaqi, who wrote of the region's agriculture and windmills, was born at the beginning of the 11th century. The discovery of several corpses in 1987 at Arneiro, in Carcavelos, led to the identification of fifteen burials that, due to their characteristics, made it possible to verify that the individuals buried there were of Berber origin. The development of Cascais began in earnest in the 12th century, when it was administratively subordinate to the town of

Sintra Sintra (, ) is a town and municipality in the Greater Lisbon region of Portugal, located on the Portuguese Riviera. The population of the municipality in 2011 was 377,835, in an area of . Sintra is one of the most urbanized and densely populat ...

, located to the north. In its humble beginnings, Cascais depended on the products of the sea and land, but by the 13th century its fish production was also supplying the nearby city of Lisbon. The toponym "''Cascais''" appears to derive from this period, a plural derivation of ''cascal'' (''monte de cascas'') which signified a "mountain of shells", referring to the abundant volume of marine mollusks harvested from the coastal waters. During the 14th century, the population spread outside the walls of its

fortress castle Fortress or Yagura (矢倉囲い or 櫓囲い ''yaguragakoi'') is a castle used in shogi. It is considered by many to be the strongest defensive position in shogi in Double Static Rook games. The most common form of Fortress is the Gold Fortres ...

The settlement's prosperity led to its administrative independence from Sintra in 1364. On 7 June 1364, the people of Cascais obtained from King Peter I the elevation of the village to the status of town, necessitating the appointment of local judges and administrators. The townspeople were consequently obligated to pay the Crown 200 pounds of gold annually, as well as bearing the expense of paying the local administrators' salaries. Owing to the regions' wealth, these obligations were easily satisfied. The town and the surrounding lands were owned by a succession of feudal lords, the most famous of whom was

João das Regras João das Regras (??? - 3 May 1404), in English, literally John of the Rules, was a Portuguese jurist of the second half of the 14th century. In the context of the 1383—1385 Crisis, in Portugal, he stood out for his masterly representation for ...

(died 1404), a lawyer and professor of the

University of Lisbon The University of Lisbon (ULisboa; pt, Universidade de Lisboa, ) is a public research university in Lisbon, and the largest university in Portugal. It was founded in 2013, from the merger of two previous public universities located in Lisbon, th ...

who was involved in the ascension of King John I to power as the first King of the House of Aviz. The castle of Cascais was likely constructed during this period, since by 1370, King

Ferdinand Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "protection", "peace" (PIE "to love, to make peace") or alternatively "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "co ...

had donated the castle and Cascais to Gomes Lourenço de Avelar to hold as a seigneurial fiefdom. These privileges were then passed on to his successors, among them João das Regras and the Counts of Monsanto, and later the Marquess of Cascais. Meanwhile, despite its conquest and sack by Castilian forces in 1373, and blockade of the port in 1382 and 1384, Cascais continued to grow beyond its walls. By the end of the 14th century this resulted in the creation of the

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...

es of Santa Maria de Cascais, São Vicente de Alcabideche and

São Domingos de Rana São Domingos de Rana () is a Freguesia, civil parish ( pt, Freguesia (Portugal), freguesia) of the Portugal, Portuguese concelho, municipality of Cascais, part of the Greater Lisbon subregion. The population in 2011 was 57,502, in an area of 20.36 ...

From the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

onward, Cascais depended on fishing, maritime commerce (it was a stop for ships sailing to Lisbon), and agriculture, producing

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

, olive oil, cereals, and fruits. Due to its location at the mouth of the

Tagus The Tagus ( ; es, Tajo ; pt, Tejo ; see below) is the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula. The river rises in the Montes Universales near Teruel, in mid-eastern Spain, flows , generally west with two main south-westward sections, to e ...

estuary, it was also seen as a strategic post in the defence of Lisbon. Around 1488, King John II built a small fortress in the town, situated by the sea. On 15 November 1514,

Manuel I Manuel I may refer to: * Manuel I Komnenos, Byzantine emperor (1143–1180) *Manuel I of Trebizond, Emperor of Trebizond (1228–1263) *Manuel I of Portugal Manuel I (; 31 May 146913 December 1521), known as the Fortunate ( pt, O Venturoso), wa ...

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'', ...

(''charter'') to Cascais, instituting the region's municipal authority. It was followed on 11 June 1551 by a license from King John III to institutionalise the ''Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Cascais''. The

Mother Church Mother church or matrice is a term depicting the Christian Church as a mother in her functions of nourishing and protecting the believer. It may also refer to the primary church of a Christian denomination or diocese, i.e. a cathedral or a metropo ...

of Cascais, the Church of Nossa Senhora da Assunção, dates back to the early 16th century. The town's medieval fortress was inadequate to repel invasions, and in 1580 Spanish troops led by the Duque of Alba took the village during the conflict that led to the union of the Portuguese and Spanish crowns. The fortress was enlarged towards the end of the 16th century by King Philip I (Philip II of Spain), turning it into a typical

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...

citadel A citadel is the core fortified area of a town or city. It may be a castle, fortress, or fortified center. The term is a diminutive of "city", meaning "little city", because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core. I ...

with the characteristic flat profile and star-shaped

floorplan In architecture and building engineering, a floor plan is a technical drawing to scale, showing a view from above, of the relationships between rooms, spaces, traffic patterns, and other physical features at one level of a structure. Dimensio ...

. Following the Portuguese restoration in 1640, a dozen bulwarks and redoubts were constructed under the direction of the

Count of Cantanhede {{for, the Condal title, Count of Marialva Count of Cantanhede (in Portuguese ''Conde de Cantanhede'') was a Portuguese title of nobility created by a royal decree, dated from 6 August 1479, by King Afonso V of Portugal, and granted to '' D.'' P ...

, who oversaw the defences of the Tagus estuary, the gateway to the city of Lisbon. Of these structures, the

citadel of Cascais The Citadel of Cascais is a set of fortifications built between the 15th and 17th centuries to defend the Cascais coastline and River Tagus estuary and to protect against attacks on the capital of Portugal, Lisbon. The citadel incorporates three ...

, which was constructed alongside the fortress of Our Lady of Light, considerably reinforced the strategic defences of the coast. GuimaraesPalace

In 1755, the great Lisbon earthquake destroyed a large portion of the city. Around 1774, the

Marquis of Pombal Count of Oeiras () was a Portuguese title of nobility created by a royal decree, dated July 15, 1759, by King Joseph I of Portugal, and granted to Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, head of the Portuguese government. Later, through another roy ...

, prime-minister of King José I, took protective measures for the commercialisation of the wine of Carcavelos and established the Royal Factory of Wool in the village, which existed until the early 19th century. During the invasion of Portugal by Napoleonic troops in 1807, the citadel of Cascais was occupied by the French, with General Junot staying some time in the village. In 1862, the Visconde da Luz built a summer house in Cascais. He and a group of friends also organized the construction of a road from Cascais to Oeiras, effectively linking Cascais to Lisbon, and also promoted other improvements to the town. As a result of these improvement, King Luís I decided to make Cascais into his summer residence and, from 1870 to 1908, the Portuguese royal family from the

House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha The House of Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (also known as the House of Saxe-Coburg-Braganza or the Constitutional Branch of the Braganzas) is a term used to categorize the last four rulers of the Kingdom of Portugal, and their families, from 1853 ...

spent part of the summer in Cascais to enjoy the sea, turning the quiet fishing village into a cosmopolitan address. Thanks to King Luís, the citadel was equipped with the country's first electric lights in 1878. Cascais also benefited from the construction of a better road to Sintra, a bullfight ring, a

sports club A sports club or sporting club, sometimes an athletics club or sports society or sports association, is a group of people formed for the purpose of playing sports. Sports clubs range from organisations whose members play together, unpaid, and ...

, and improvements to basic infrastructure for the population. Many noble families built impressive mansions in an eclectic style commonly referred to as '' summer architecture'', many of which are still to be seen in the town centre and environs. The first railway arrived in 1889. Another important step in the development of the area was made in the first half of the 20th century with the building of a casino and infrastructure in neighbouring

In 1882 Cascais installed one of the first

tide gauges A tide gauge is a device for measuring the change in sea level relative to a vertical datum. It its also known as mareograph, marigraph, sea-level recorder and limnimeter. When applied to freshwater continental water bodies, the instrument ma ...

in Europe in order to assist with navigation into the port of Lisbon. In 1896, King Carlos I, a lover of all maritime activities, installed in the citadel the first oceanographic laboratory in Portugal. The King himself led a total of 12 scientific expeditions to the coast; these ended in 1908 after his assassination in Lisbon. Due to Portugal's neutrality in World War II and the town's elegance and royal past, Cascais became home to many of the exiled royal families of Europe, including those of Spain ( House of Bourbon), Italy ( House of Savoy), Hungary and Bulgaria. Their stories are told at the Exiles Memorial Centre. Nowadays, Cascais and its surroundings are a popular vacation spot for the Portuguese as well as for the international

jet set In journalism, jet set is a term for an international social group of wealthy people who travel the world to participate in social activities unavailable to ordinary people. The term, which replaced "café society", came from the lifestyle of tra ...

and regular foreign tourists, all of them drawn by its fine beaches. The town hosts many international events, including sailing and surfing. In 2018 it was the

European Youth Capital Turin (2010) Antwerp (2011) Braga (2012) Maribor (2013) Thessaloniki (2014) Ganja (2016) The 'European Youth Capital'' (abbreviated EYC) is the title awarded by the European Youth Forum to a European city, designed to empower ...

Geography

Cascais is situated on the western edge of the Tagus estuary, between the Sintra mountains and the Atlantic Ocean; the territory occupied by the municipality is limited in the north by the municipality of

, south and west by the ocean, and east by the municipality of Oeiras. Administratively, the municipality is divided into 4 civil parishes ('' freguesias''), with municipal authority vested in the ''Câmara Municipal'' of Cascais: * Alcabideche * Carcavelos e Parede * Cascais e Estoril *

Cascais' coastline is home to 17 beaches. These are:

Guincho Beach Praia do Guincho (English: Guincho Beach) is an Atlantic beach located on Portugal's Estoril coast, 5 km from the town of Cascais, and is located in the municipality of Cascais, more precisely in the parishes of Cascais and Alcabideche, in ...

and Carcavelos Beach are especially well known as good surf spots. Close to Praia do Guincho is the

Cresmina Dune The Cresmina Dune extends over 66 hectares and is a part of the Guincho-Oitavos dune system, located on the edge of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park near Cascais in Portugal. This dune system is considered fairly unique because, as a result of th ...

, which is an unstable dune system due to the constant drifting of sand particles caused by strong winds.

Climate

Cascais has a

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

: ''Csb'') with mild, wet winters and warm, dry summers. Moderated by the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

and the typical

urban heat island An urban heat island (UHI) is an urban or metropolitan area that is significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas due to human activities. The temperature difference is usually larger at night than during the day, and is most apparen ...

of a city, temperatures in Cascais rarely get below or above .

Economy

Hotel Museu do Farol de Santa Marta IMG 7103 (2497377933)

Cascais is easily reached from Lisbon by car on the A5 Lisbon-Cascais highway, or alternatively on the scenic "marginal" road, as well as by frequent inexpensive commuter trains. Taxis are also a common and inexpensive mode of transport in the area. The city has the ruins of a castle, an

art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...

museum and an ocean museum, as well as parks and the cobbled streets of the historic centre. The town has many hotels and tourist apartments as well as many good restaurants of varying cost. It is a fine base to use for those visiting Lisbon and its environs who prefer to stay outside of the city yet in an equally urban and sophisticated environment. Cascais ranks 9th in population density and 6th in percentage of population employed among Portuguese municipalities. Cascais is surrounded by popular beaches.

to the northwest is primarily a surfing,

windsurfing Windsurfing is a wind propelled water sport that is a combination of sailing and surfing. It is also referred to as "sailboarding" and "boardsailing", and emerged in the late 1960s from the aerospace and surf culture of California. Windsurfing ga ...

, and

kitesurfing Kiteboarding or kitesurfing is a sport that involves using wind power with a large power kite to pull a rider across a water, land, or snow surface. It combines aspects of paragliding, surfing, windsurfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, and wak ...

beach because of the prevailing winds and sea swells, while the calm waters of the beaches to the east attract sunbathers. The lush

mountains to the north are a further attraction. The shoreline to the west has cliffs, attracting tourists who come for the panoramic views of the sea and other natural sights such as the

Boca do Inferno Boca do Inferno ( Portuguese for Hell's Mouth) is a chasm located in the seaside cliffs close to the Portuguese city of Cascais Cascais () is a town and municipality in the Lisbon District of Portugal, located on the Portuguese Riviera. The ...

. It is also becoming a popular golf destination, with over 10

golf courses A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". Th ...

nearby. A large marina with 650 berths was opened in 1999 and has since held many sailing events. It was the official host of the

2007 ISAF Sailing World Championships 2007 ISAF Sailing World Championships was the second edition of the ISAF Sailing World Championships and was held in Cascais, Portugal on the Portuguese Riviera from 28 June to 13 July. Venue The venue for the 2007 ISAF Sailing World Champion ...

for dinghies and racing yachts. The municipality also hosts international

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

and motorcycling events and for many years hosted the

FIA FIA is the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (English: International Automobile Federation), the world's governing body for all forms of motor sport where four or more wheels are used. Fia or FIA may also refer to: People * Fia Backs ...

F1 Portugal Grand Prix at the Estoril race track. The Estoril Casino is one of the largest in Europe. Near the casino is the ''"Hotel Palácio"'' (Palace Hotel), where scenes of the

movie '' On Her Majesty's Secret Service'' were shot. In 2017 the municipality started charging a small tourist tax, as the city had become one of the most visited destinations in Portugal. It is estimated that around 1.2 million tourists stay in the city's hotels each year (2016). The Cascais Aerodrome in Tires (São Domingos de Rana) serves

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...

and also offers domestic scheduled flights by Aero VIP.

Education

The Carcavelos community houses the

Saint Julian's School St. Julian's School is a private British international school, located in Carcavelos, Cascais Municipality, on the Portuguese Riviera, in the Greater Lisbon region. It is housed at Quinta de Santo António, a historic Pombaline '' quinta'' (es ...

, a British international school. The

community hosts a kindergarten and elementary school campus of the

German School of Lisbon Deutsche Schule Lissabon ( pt, Escola Alemã de Lisboa, EAL; German School of Lisbon) is a private German international school situated in the Lumiar district of Lisbon, Portugal. Founded in 1848, the Deutsche Schule Lissabon is the oldest German ...

.Kontakt

Contactos
."

. Retrieved on May 5, 2016. German: "Deutsche Schule Lissabon Kindergarten, Grundschule, Gymnasium Rua Prof. Francisco Lucas Pires 1600-891 Lisboa Portugal" and "Deutsche Schule Lissabon - Standort Estoril Kindergarten, Grundschule Rua Dr. António Martins, 26 2765-194 Estoril Portugal" ; Portuguese: "Escola Alemã de Lisboa Jardim Infantil, Escola Primária e Liceu Rua Prof. Francisco Lucas Pires 1600-891 Lisboa Portugal" and "Escola Alemã de Lisboa - Dependência do Estoril Jardim de Infância, Escola Primária Rua Dr. António Martins, 26 2765-194 Estoril Portugal" Outeiro de Polima,

, in Cascais, houses Saint Dominic's International School.

Culture

The Gil Vicente theatre dates back to 1869. In its early years it was frequently attended by Portugal's Royal Family. The Cascais Experimental Theatre was established in 1965 and has presented more than a hundred shows since then. Over the years Cascais has developed several art galleries and museums. These are concentrated in a relatively small area of the town, mainly in parkland. Combined, they are known as The Museum Quarter. Several occupy large buildings that were formerly private residences and were subsequently taken over and restored by the Municipality. Entrance is either free or for a small fee (usually not more than €4). The galleries and museums are: Art galleries * Casa das Histórias Paula Rego. This is a relatively modern museum devoted to the paintings of

Paula Rego Paula or PAULA may refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Paula, in video game '' EarthBound'' * Paula, in ''The Larry Sanders Show'' * Paula Campbell (''EastEnders''), in 2003 Film and television * ''Paula'' (1915 film), a s ...

and her husband

Victor Willing Victor Arthur James Willing (15 January 1928 – 1 June 1988) was a British painter, noted for his original nude studies. He was a friend and colleague of many notable artists, including Elisabeth Frink, Michael Andrews and Francis Bacon. He ...

. *

Cascais Cultural Centre The Cascais Cultural Centre (''Centro Cultural de Cascais'') is situated close to the Citadel of Cascais in the municipality of Cascais in the Lisbon district of Portugal. It consists of several exhibition spaces, a recital hall and a restauran ...

. Located on the site of the former convent of Our Lady of Mercy, this colourful building houses rotating exhibitions and also has a small concert hall. * Casa Duarte Pinto Coelho. The former guardhouse of the Condes de Castro Guimarães Palace, this building houses the Duarte Pinto Coelho art collection. *Cidadela Arts Centre. This occupies a small part of the

Citadel of Cascais The Citadel of Cascais is a set of fortifications built between the 15th and 17th centuries to defend the Cascais coastline and River Tagus estuary and to protect against attacks on the capital of Portugal, Lisbon. The citadel incorporates three ...

and offers space for artists to display and sell their work. Museums * The Exiles Memorial Centre is located on the first floor of the iconic modernist building that houses the Estoril post office. It is a

history museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make thes ...

which focuses on the lives of the refugees, exiles, and notables who came through Portugal and Cascais during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. *The

Cascais Citadel Palace Museum Cascais () is a town and municipality in the Lisbon District of Portugal, located on the Portuguese Riviera. The municipality has a total of 214,158 inhabitants in an area of 97.40 km2. Cascais is an important tourist destination. Its marin ...

is situated inside the grounds of the Citadel. It was used as the summer residence of the Royal Family from 1870 until 1908, and was subsequently used as one of the official residences of Portuguese presidents. After extensive restoration it was opened as a museum in 2011, with an emphasis on the role of Portuguese presidents. *

Condes de Castro Guimarães Museum Condes may refer to: Places * Condes, Jura, a commune in the French region of Franche-Comté * Condes, Haute-Marne, a commune in the French region of Champagne-Ardenne People with the surname * Florante Condes (born 1980), Filipino boxer See ...

. This was built as an aristocrat's summer residence and became a museum in 1931. The building follows an eclectic architectural style, while the museum includes paintings, furniture, porcelain, jewellery and a

neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

organ. * Casa de Santa Maria. This was built for the same person as the building housing the Condes de Castro Guimarães Museum. Both are built on the banks of a small sea cove. It was acquired by the Cascais Municipality in October 2004 and is interesting mainly for the design and the wall tiles. * Lighthouse museum. This is built into the Santa Marta Lighthouse, next to the Casa de Santa Maria. Examples of lighthouse lens and other technology can be seen and at certain times the lighthouse can be climbed. * Casa Sommer is a distinguished private residence converted into a historical museum. It also houses the Municipal Archives. It is the newest museum in the Quarter, having been opened in 2016. * King D. Carlos Sea Museum was inaugurated in 1992. It has a variety of exhibitions reflecting the origins of Cascais as a fishing village. * Town museum ( pt, Museu da Vila). Provides an introduction to the history of the town.

International relations

Cascais is twinned with: * Biarritz, France, since 1986 * Vitória, Brazil, since 1986 *

Santana Santana may refer to: Transportation * Volkswagen Santana, an automobile * Santana Cycles, manufacturer of tandem bicycles * Santana Motors, a former Spanish automobile manufacturer Boats * Santana 20, an American sailboat design by W. D. Sch ...

, São Tomé and Príncipe, since 1986 *

Atami is a city located in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 36,865 in 21,593 households and a population density of 600 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Atami is located in the far ea ...

, Japan, since 1990 *

Wuxi Wuxi (, ) is a city in southern Jiangsu province, eastern China, by car to the northwest of downtown Shanghai, between Changzhou and Suzhou. In 2017 it had a population of 3,542,319, with 6,553,000 living in the entire prefecture-level city ar ...

, China, since 1993 * Sal, Cape Verde, since 1993 * Gaza City, Palestine, since 2000 *

Guarujá Guarujá (; ) is a municipality in the São Paulo state of Brazil. It is part of the Metropolitan Region of Baixada Santista. The population is 322,750 (2020 est.) in an area of . This place name comes from the Tupi language, and means "narrow pa ...

, Brazil, since 2000 *

Xai-Xai Xai-Xai () is a city in the south of Mozambique. Until 1975, the city was named João Belo. It is the capital of Gaza Province. As of 2007 it has a population of 116,343. History Portuguese rule Xai-Xai, formerly João Belo, developed in the e ...

, Mozambique, since 2000 *

Sausalito Sausalito (Spanish for "small willow grove") is a city in Marin County, California, United States, located southeast of Marin City, south-southeast of San Rafael, and about north of San Francisco from the Golden Gate Bridge. Sausalito's ...

, United States, since 2012 *

Ungheni Ungheni () is a municipality in Moldova. With a population of 35,157, it is the seventh largest town in Moldova and the seat of Ungheni District. There is a bridge across the Prut and a border checkpoint to Romania. There is another border ...

, Moldova, since 2012 *

Campinas Campinas (, ''Plains'' or ''Meadows'') is a Brazilian municipality in São Paulo State, part of the country's Southeast Region. According to the 2020 estimate, the city's population is 1,213,792, making it the fourteenth most populous Brazilian ...

, Brazil, since 2012 *

Sinaia Sinaia () is a town and a mountain resort in Prahova County, Romania. It is situated in the historical region of Muntenia. The town was named after the Sinaia Monastery of 1695, around which it was built. The monastery, in turn, is named aft ...

, Romania, since 2018 * Pampilhosa da Serra, Portugal, since 2018 * Bucha, Ukraine, since 2022

Notable residents

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa em fevereiro de 2018

* Joaquim António Velez Barreiros (1802–1865). As the ''Visconde da Luz'', is celebrated in Cascais with two streets and a park named after him *

José de Freitas Ribeiro José de Freitas Ribeiro, ComTE, ComA (Parede, 23 May 1868 – 3 November 1929) was an official of the Portuguese Navy and a politician during the First Portuguese Republic era who, among other functions, was Minister for the Colonies in the Augu ...

(1868–1929) Portuguese Navy officer, Governor-General of Mozambique, 1910-1911 and Governor-General of Portuguese India, 1917-1919 * Ricardo Espírito Santo (1900-1955) a banker, economist, patron of the arts, international athlete & friend of

António de Oliveira Salazar António de Oliveira Salazar (, , ; 28 April 1889 – 27 July 1970) was a Portuguese dictator who served as President of the Council of Ministers from 1932 to 1968. Having come to power under the ("National Dictatorship"), he reframed the r ...

and President of

Banco Espírito Santo Banco Espírito Santo (BES) was a Portuguese bank based in Lisbon that on 4 August 2014 was split in two banks: Novo Banco, which kept its healthy operations, and a "bad bank" to keep its toxic assets. It once was the second-largest listed Por ...

António da Mota Veiga António Jorge Martins da Mota Veiga (Cascais, 28 February 1915 – Lisbon, CUF Hospital, 14 November 2005) was a Portuguese politician and former Minister and law professor. Background He was the son of Elisário Eduardo da Mota Veiga (Lisb ...

(1915–2005) a politician and former Minister and law professor *

Nadir Afonso Nadir Afonso, GOSE (4 December 1920 – 11 December 2013) was a Portuguese geometric abstractionist painter. Formally trained in architecture, which he practiced early in his career with Le Corbusier and Oscar Niemeyer, Nadir Afonso later stud ...

(1920 - 2013 in Cascais), a geometric abstractionist painter, notable for his ''City Series'' artwork *

John Tojeiro John Tojeiro (3 December 1923, Estoril, Portugal – 16 March 2005, Cambridge, England), affectionately known as Toj, was an engineer and racing car designer whose innovations helped to revolutionise car design in the 1950s and 1960s. Born in Es ...

(1923–2005) known at ''Toj'', an engineer and racing car designer *

Francisco Pinto Balsemão Francisco José Pereira Pinto Balsemão (; born 1 September 1937) is a Portuguese businessman, former journalist and retired politician, who served as Prime Minister of Portugal, from 1981 to 1983. Background He is the son of Henrique Patríci ...

(born 1937) a former Prime Minister of Portugal, 1981-1983 *

José Luis Encarnação José Luis Moreira da Encarnação is a Portuguese computer scientist, Professor Emeritus at the Department of Computer Science of the Technische Universität Darmstadt in Germany and a senior technology and innovation advisor to governments, mul ...

(born 1941) a computer scientist and senior academic in Germany *

Manuela Carneiro da Cunha Manuela Carneiro da Cunha (born 1943) is a Portuguese-Brazilian anthropologist, who is known for her studies of indigenous people in Brazil. Early life and training Maria Manuela Ligeti Carneiro da Cunha was born in Cascais, Portugal on 16 July 1 ...

(born 1943) a Portuguese-Brazilian anthropologist, studies indigenous people in Brazil. *

Ricardo Salgado Ricardo Espírito Santo Silva Salgado (born June 25, 1944) is a Portuguese economist and convicted banker. President of Banco Espírito Santo, which was founded by his grandfather, he was, until July 2014, the banker active for the longest time in ...

(born 1944) an economist and banker, president of

* Julião Sarmento (1948–2021) a multimedia artist and painter; lived and worked in Estoril *

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa Marcelo Nuno Duarte Rebelo de Sousa (; born 12 December 1948) is a Portuguese politician and academic. He is the 20th and current president of Portugal, since 9 March 2016. He is a member of the Social Democratic Party, though he suspended hi ...

(born 1948), a Portuguese politician, former Minister, law professor, former journalist, political analyst and current

President of Portugal The president of Portugal, officially the president of the Portuguese Republic ( pt, Presidente da República Portuguesa, ), is the head of state and highest office of Portugal. The powers, functions and duties of prior presidential offices, an ...

since 2016 * Manuel Botelho (born 1950) a Portuguese artist who lives and works in

* Ana Gomes (born 1954) a Portuguese former diplomat and politician * Isabel Jonet (born 1960) president of the Portuguese Federation of Food Banks * Aure Atika (born 1970) a French actress, writer and director. * Chabeli Iglesias (born 1971) a Spanish journalist and socialite, daughter of

Julio Iglesias Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva (; born 23 September 1943) is a Spanish singer, songwriter and former professional footballer. Iglesias is recognized as the most commercially successful Spanish singer in the world and one of the top record ...

Luana Piovani Luana Elídia Afonso Piovani (, born 29 August 1976) is a Brazilian actress, TV host, and former model. Career Piovani started her career as a Ford Models Agency model in 1990 and a year later spent some time working in Japan. Piovani's first ...

(born 1976), a Brazilian actress and former model. * Diogo Machado (born 1980) known as '' Add Fuel'', a Portuguese visual artist and illustrator * Ricardo Baptista Leite (born 1980) a doctor, academic, politician and author *

Daniela Ruah Daniela Sofia Korn Ruah (born December 2, 1983) is an American-Portuguese actress and film director best known for playing NCIS Special Agent Kensi Blye in the CBS police procedural series '' NCIS: Los Angeles''. Early life Ruah was born in Bo ...

(born 1983, Boston, Massachusetts), a Portuguese-American actress, brought up in Portugal, currently starring in the TV series '' NCIS: Los Angeles''. *

Vera Kolodzig Vera Kolodzig (born 22 April 1985 in Lisbon) is a Portugal, Portuguese actress of Germany, German descent. Life and career Kolodzig, whose father is German, lived in Cascais until she was 18 and then went to London to study contemporary theatre a ...

(born 1985) a Portuguese actress, brought up in Cascais. * Ana Gomes Ferreira (born 1987) known as ''

Ana Free Ana Gomes Ferreira (born 29 June 1987), known professionally as Ana Free, is a singer, musician, songwriter and performer who has had a series of top-five hit singles, including 4 number one hits, in Portugal. She has a growing musical presence ...

'', singer/songwriter made popular by

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

Mariana Bandhold Mariana Vasconcelos Bandhold, more popularly known by her stage name as Mariana Bandhold, is a Portuguese- American singer, actress, and songwriter from the Portuguese Riviera. She was a contestant in the second season of The Voice Portugal. ...

(born 1995) a Portuguese-American singer, actress, and songwriter.

Sport

* Nuno Durão (born 1962) a Portuguese rugby union footballer and coach with 44 caps for

Paulo Ferreira Paulo Renato Rebocho Ferreira (; born 18 January 1979) is a Portuguese former footballer who played as a full-back. After starting out at Estoril, he went on to spend the vast majority of his 16-year professional career with Porto and Chelse ...

(born 1979) a former footballer with 306 club caps and 62 for

* Duarte Félix da Costa (born 1985) racing car driver *

António Félix da Costa António Maria de Mello Breyner Félix da Costa (born 31 August 1991) is a Portuguese professional racing driver for the Porsche Formula E Team and the 2019–20 Formula E Drivers' Champion. He won the Macau Grand Prix invitational Formula Thr ...

(born 1991) racing car driver a former Red Bull test driver and the

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...

Formula E Champion * Fernando Varela (born 1987) a footballer with over 350 club caps and 49 for Cape Verde *

Frederico Morais Frederico Rodrigues de Assunção Morais (born 3 January 1992), also known as Kikas, is a Portuguese professional surfer who competes on the World Surfing League Men's Championship Tour since 2017. He qualified to represent Portugal at the 2020 ...

(born 1992) a surfer in the

World Surf League The World Surf League (WSL) is the governing body for professional surfing, surfers and is dedicated to showcasing the world's best talent in a variety of progressive formats. The World Surf League was originally known as the International Prof ...

* Teresa Bonvalot (born 1999) a surfer in the

the 2016 and 2017 European Junior Champion and 2021-22 WSL Qualifying Series European Champion

Royalty

*King Luís I of Portugal (1838 – 1889 in Cascais) a member of the ruling House of Braganza and King of Portugal from 1861 to 1889. *King

Carol II of Romania Carol II (4 April 1953) was King of Romania from 8 June 1930 until his forced abdication on 6 September 1940. The eldest son of Ferdinand I, he became crown prince upon the death of his grand-uncle, King Carol I in 1914. He was the first of t ...

(1893–1953) and

Miklós Horthy Miklós Horthy de Nagybánya ( hu, Vitéz nagybányai Horthy Miklós; ; English: Nicholas Horthy; german: Nikolaus Horthy Ritter von Nagybánya; 18 June 1868 – 9 February 1957), was a Hungarian admiral and dictator who served as the regent ...

(1868–1957),

Regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

of the

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...

, both lived and died in

, in Cascais. * Edward, Duke of Windsor (1894–1972) formerly Edward VIII during his brief reign as British King and his wife

Wallis, Duchess of Windsor Wallis, Duchess of Windsor (born Bessie Wallis Warfield, later Simpson; June 19, 1896 – April 24, 1986), was an American socialite and wife of the former King Edward VIII. Their intention to marry and her status as a divorcée caused ...

(1896–1986), stayed in Cascais in July 1940 waiting for a ship to the

Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the ar ...

. *

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

(1904–1983) the last Italian monarch until a

referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...

ended the Italian monarchy in 1946. He lived the rest of his life at Cascais. * Prince Juan of Spain, Count of Barcelona (1913–1993), (son of the King Alfonso XIII of Spain and Princess

Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg Victoria Eugenie Julia Ena of Battenberg (24 October 1887 – 15 April 1969) was Queen of Spain as the wife of King Alfonso XIII from their marriage on 31 May 1906 until 14 April 1931, when the Spanish Second Republic was proclaimed. A Hessi ...

), the designated heir to the Spanish throne, also lived in the municipality of Cascais with his family. Prince Juan's son, future King

(born 1938) lived his childhood in exile in

, while his youngest brother Prince Alfonso of Bourbon (1941–1956) died there and was originally buried in Cascais. *

Luisa Isabel Álvarez de Toledo, 21st Duchess of Medina Sidonia Luisa Isabel Álvarez de Toledo y Maura, 21st Duchess of Medina Sidonia, GE (21 August 19367 March 2008) was the holder of the Dukedom of Medina Sidonia in Spain. She was nicknamed or ''The Red Duchess'' due to her lifelong left-wing, anti-Fra ...

(1936–2008) holder of the Dukedom of Medina Sidonia in Spain. *

Tsar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East and South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" in the European medieval sense of the ter ...

Simeon II of Bulgaria Simeon Borisov von Saxe-Coburg-Gotha ( bg, Симеон Борисов Сакскобургготски, translit=Simeon Borisov Sakskoburggotski, ; born 16 June 1937) is a Bulgarian politician who reigned as the last tsar of the Kingdom of Bul ...

(born 1937), arrived in the municipality, with his mother

Tsarina Tsarina or tsaritsa (also spelled ''csarina'' or ''csaricsa'', ''tzarina'' or ''tzaritza'', or ''czarina'' or ''czaricza''; bg, царица, tsaritsa; sr, / ; russian: царица, tsaritsa) is the title of a female autocratic ruler (mon ...

Giovanna of Italy , house = Savoy , father = Victor Emmanuel III of Italy , mother = Elena of Montenegro , birth_date = , birth_place = Rome, Kingdom of Italy , death_date = , death_place = Estoril, Portuguese Riviera , burial_ ...

(1907-2000) who died in Estoril. He returned from exile to be elected Prime Minister of Bulgaria from 2001 to 2005. *

Prince Charles Philippe, Duke of Anjou A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

(born 1973) descendant of the last King of France has lived in Cascais since 2008.

References

External links

*
Cascais Tourism officeCascais Investments officeLiving in Cascais website
{{Authority control Populated places in Lisbon District Municipalities of Lisbon District Towns in Portugal Seaside resorts in Portugal