Algueirão – Mem Martins () is a
Portuguese civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
, in the municipality (''
concelho
Concelho () is the Portuguese-language term for municipality, referring to the territorial subdivision in local government. In comparison, the word ''município'' () refers to the organs of State. This differentiation is still in use in Portugal ...
'') of
Sintra
Sintra (, ), officially the Town of Sintra (), is a town and municipality in the Greater Lisbon region of Portugal, located on the Portuguese Riviera. The population of the municipality in 2021 was 385,654, in an area of . Sintra is one of the ...
, and part of the
Lisbon Metropolitan Area
The Lisbon Metropolitan Area (; abbreviated as AML) is a metropolitan areas in Portugal, metropolitan area in Portugal centered on Lisbon, the capital and largest city of the country. The metropolitan area, covering 17 List of cities in Portuga ...
.
It was elevated from the status of village to town on 1 February 1988.
History
Toponymy
The toponym 'Algueirão' dates back to the
Muslim presence in the region between the 8th and 12th centuries. It evolved from the
Arab
Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world.
Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...
term ''al-gueirān'', meaning ''the caves''.
'Mem Martins' is a proper name of uncertain origin, consisting of the medieval given name ''Mem'' and the
patronymic
A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (more specifically an avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor. It is the male equivalent of a matronymic.
Patronymics are used, b ...
''Martins'', likely after one of the first property owners in the region following the Portuguese conquest of
Lisbon and Sintra.
Geography
It covers 16.00 km².
Demographics
The population in 2011 was 66,250.[Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE)](_blank)
Census 2011 results according to the 2013 administrative division of Portugal The population density is 4,100 inhabitants per square kilometer.
Notable structures
* Fountain of Sacotes ()
* Church of Nossa Senhora das Mercês (), a 17th-century church and churchyard;
* Hermitage of São Romão (), a Manueline-era rural hermitage, comprising one nave with a vaulted ceiling.
Notable people
* André Ventura, jurist, professor, former sports pundit and politician, founder and president of the Chega party
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Algueirao - Mem Martins
Parishes of Sintra