Abrantes () 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 the central Médio Tejo subregion of

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

. The population was 39,325,Instituto Nacional de Estatística
/ref> in an area of . The municipality includes several parishes divided by the Tagus River, which runs through the middle of the municipality. The urbanized part, the parish of Abrantes (São Vicente e São João) e Alferrarede, located on the north bank of the Tagus, has about 17,000 residents.

History

The

Celts The Celts ( , see Names of the Celts#Pronunciation, pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples ( ) were a collection of Indo-European languages, Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancient Indo-European people, reached the apoge ...

are believed to have established the first settlement in Abrantes around 300 BC. The name is derived from

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

''Aurantes'', perhaps referring to deposits of

alluvial Alluvium (, ) is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Alluvium is also sometimes called alluvial deposit. Alluvium is ...

gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

(Latin: '' aurum'') along the Tagus. Similarly, Roman mosaics, coins, the remains of ancient aqueducts, as well as other antiquities, have been discovered in the vicinity of Abrantes. The village of Abrantes and the Abrantes Castle were conquered from the

Moors The term Moor is an Endonym and exonym, exonym used in European languages to designate the Muslims, Muslim populations of North Africa (the Maghreb) and the Iberian Peninsula (particularly al-Andalus) during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a s ...

Afonso I of Portugal Dom Afonso IOr also ''Affonso'' (Archaic Portuguese-Galician) or ''Alphonso'' (Portuguese-Galician languages, Portuguese-Galician) or ''Alphonsus'' (Latin version), sometimes rendered in English as ''Alphonzo'' or ''Alphonse'', depending on th ...

in 1148. After 1172, Abrantes was a military outpost, under the dominion of the Order of Saint James of Compostela. In 1173, the region, including its

castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

, were donated to the Order of Saint James of the Sword. Around 1290,

Pope Nicholas IV Pope Nicholas IV (; born Girolamo Masci; 30 September 1227 – 4 April 1292) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 22 February 1288 to his death, on 4 April 1292. He was the first Franciscan to be elected pope.McBrie ...

released this Order from the jurisdiction of the Castilian grand master of Santiago de Compostela Order in Uclés. It received its municipal

foral 200px, Foral of Castro Verde - Portugal The ''Carta de Foral'', or simply ''Foral'', was a royal document in Portugal and its former empire, whose purpose was to establish a ''concelho'' (Council) and regulate its administration, borders and priv ...

in 1179, in compensation for its resistance against the Moroccan Abem Jacob. Its creation in 1179, was based on the ''concelhos perfeitos'' ("perfect municipality") model; they were formed on the specific day that settlers were invited to populate them; the administrative regime, the organization of the municipal authority and geographic distribution were planned as part of system of populating uninhabited lands, and extending the political influence of the Kingdom. Its geography contributed to the colonization: On 24 April 1281, King Dinis of Portugal, conceded the ownership of Abrantes to Queen Elizabeth of Portugal. Afonso IV of Portugal transferred the title of the religious parish to the

Knights Hospitaller The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), is a Catholic military order. It was founded in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century and had headquarters there ...

, in 1327, and granted Abrantes to Leonor Teles. Partners of the Master of Avis, the Abrantinos were one of the first to support the Lisboete movement of 1383, among them Fernando Álvares de Almeida, protector of the Casa de Abrantes. King Manuel stayed in Abrantes for a long period; by 1510 he conceded a new foral to the town; and his children, the Infantes Fernando and Luís were born in Abrantes. During the 16th century, Abrantes and its religious parish was one of the largest and more populous lands in the Kingdom, with 3,436 inhabitants, four convents and 13 chapels or churches within its frontiers. In 1581, in his move to

Tomar Tomar (), also known in English as Thomar (the ancient name of Tomar), is a Portugal, Portuguese city and a municipality in the historical Ribatejo Portuguese Provinces of Portugal, province, and in Santarém District, Santarém district. The to ...

, Philip I of Portugal stopped in Abrantes for several days, and during his reign was responsible for the reconstruction of Abrantes' municipal buildings. It was the seat of Portuguese marquesses, one of which was an early patron of the Brazilian-born versatile scientist, naturalist and pioneering inventor-aeronaut Bartholomeu Lourenço de Gusmão. During 1640, Abrantes was one of the first lands to declare their support for

John IV of Portugal ''Dom (honorific), Dom'' John IV (; 19 March 1604 – 6 November 1656), also known by the Portuguese as John the Restorer (), was the List of Portuguese monarchs, King of Portugal from 1640 until his death in 1656. He Portuguese Restoration War, ...

. From the 17th and 18th centuries onwards, its ancient military importance was confirmed, as it was used by Portuguese and foreign armies to garrison or concentrate their forces. The village of Abrantes was captured on 24 November 1807 by French general Jean-Andoche Junot, who was awarded a ducal title for his victory by

Napoleon I Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

in 1808, and used as base for further marshaling of French forces. In the Convention of Cintra (22 August 1808) the town was returned to the Portuguese. During the reign of Joseph I (1750–1777) the village became the center of the silk industry, which prospered until 1800, designated the ''Academia Tubuciana''. In 1820, Abrantes supported the Liberal Revolution and celebrated the 1822 Constitution; although Miguel of Portugal did find many supporters in the municipality, no outright manifestation of support occurred in light of the '' Vilafrancada''. In November 1862, the Santarém-Abrantes lines was opened, and by March 1868, a bridge between Abrantes and Rossio to the southern Tagus region was well underway. An active republican center, Abrantes was the place of preparatory meetings for the

5 October 1910 Revolution 5 October 1910 Revolution () was the overthrow of the centuries-old List of Portuguese monarchs, Portuguese monarchy and its replacement by the First Portuguese Republic. It was the result of a ''coup d'état'' organized by the Portuguese Repub ...

, which may have contributed to the village's elevation to the status of city on 14 June 1916.

Geography

Physical geography

Abrantes lies in a central enclave within the Portuguese territory and a transition zone between the Ribatejo, Beira Baixa and Alto Alentejo. This location allowed development of a diversified culture, influenced by many cultures around it; Sardoal and Vila de Rei, to the north; Mação and Gavião, to the east; Ponte de Sôr and

Chamusca Chamusca () is a municipality in Santarém District in Portugal. The population in 2021 was 8,530, in an area of 746.01 km2. The present Mayor is Paulo Queimado, elected by the Socialist Party. The municipal holiday is Ascension Day. Cli ...

, in the south; and Constância and

in the west. Abrantes is also located along many important road and rail links throughout the country, including the Madrid-Badajoz-Lisbon railway, being at the junction with the Guarda-Abrantes line, and the Lisbon-Porto access (the A23 and Beira Baixa roadways). Abrantes commands the highway along the Tagus valley west from Belver (in the municipality of Gavião) until Constância, occupying the crest of a hill covered with olive woods, gardens and vines; historically, the fortified town has been regarded as an important military position. The municipality is also center of two major hydrological resources: the Tagus River, which cross the territory for 30 kilometers and the Albufeira from Castelo do Bode.

Climate

Abrantes has a

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Its location in the

Tagus The Tagus ( ; ; ) is the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula. The river rises in the Montes Universales between Cuenca and Teruel, in mid-eastern Spain, flows , generally westward, and empties into the Atlantic Ocean in Lisbon. Name T ...

floodplain A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river. Floodplains stretch from the banks of a river channel to the base of the enclosing valley, and experience flooding during periods of high Discharge (hydrolog ...

enables very high

diurnal temperature variation In meteorology, diurnal temperature variation is the variation between a high air temperature and a low temperature that occurs during the same day. Temperature lag Temperature lag, also known as thermal inertia, is an important factor in diur ...

s; making nights cool, with an average yearly low of , and dropping below 31 days on average during the cold months; and days being warm to hot, with an average yearly high of .

Human geography

Administratively, the municipality is divided into 13 civil parishes ('), responsible for local area development and administration of services: * Abrantes (São Vicente e São João) e Alferrarede * Aldeia do Mato e Souto * Alvega e Concavada * Bemposta * Carvalhal * Fontes * Martinchel * Mouriscas * Pego * Rio de Moinhos * São Facundo e Vale das Mós * São Miguel do Rio Torto e Rossio ao Sul do Tejo * Tramagal It has grown dramatically since the early 20th century: from a base population of 7,255 in 1900, it had more than 41,000 inhabitants in 2001.

Notable people

* Jorge de Lencastre, Duke of Coimbra (1481–1550) a prince, illegitimate son of King

John II of Portugal John II (; ; 3 May 1455 – 25 October 1495), called the Perfect Prince (), was King of Portugal from 1481 until his death in 1495, and also for a brief time in 1477. He is known for reestablishing the power of the Portuguese monarchy, reinvigo ...

* Luís of Portugal, Duke of Beja (1506–1555) the second son of King

Manuel I of Portugal Manuel I (; 31 May 146913 December 1521), known as the Fortunate (), was King of Portugal from 1495 to 1521. A member of the House of Aviz, Manuel was Duke of Beja and Viseu prior to succeeding his cousin, John II of Portugal, as monarch. Manu ...

* Ferdinand of Portugal, Duke of Guarda 1507–1534) a prince, the son of King

* António Leal Moreira (1758–1819) a Portuguese classical composer and organist * Joaquim Marques Esparteiro (1895–1976) a Portuguese navy officer and colonial administrator * Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo (1930–2004) a chemical engineer and politician; the first and to date the only woman

Prime Minister of Portugal The prime minister of Portugal (; ) is the head of government of Portugal. As head of government, the prime minister coordinates the actions of ministers, represents the Government of Portugal to the other bodies of state, is accountable to Ass ...

Sport

* Luís Mena e Silva (1902–1963) a Portuguese horse rider; bronze medallist at the

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King Edward VIII, following the death of his father, George V, at Sandringham House. * January 28 – Death and state funer ...

1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and officially branded as London 1948, were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus cau ...

* Hélder Catalão (born 1955) a former footballer with 335 club caps

References

Notes Sources * * *
Heraldica.org- Napoleonic victory titles

External links

Photos from Abrantes
{{Authority control Populated places in Santarém District Burial sites of the House of Aviz Municipalities of Santarém District Populated places established in the 1st millennium BC