Sacavém
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Sacavém (; ) is a
city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
and former
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 of
Loures Loures () is a city and a municipality in Portugal which is part of the Lisbon District, District and Lisbon Metropolitan Area, Metropolitan area of Lisbon. It is the fifth most populous municipality in the country, with a total population of 201, ...
,
Lisbon District Lisbon District () 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 current Setúbal District. ...
,
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 ...
. In 2013, the parish merged into the new parish
Sacavém e Prior Velho Sacavém (; ) is a List of cities in Portugal, city and former Freguesia (Portugal), civil parish in the municipality of Loures Municipality, Loures, Lisbon District, Portugal. In 2013, the parish merged into the new parish Sacavém e Prior Velho. ...
. It is a few kilometers north-east of the Portuguese
capital Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...
,
Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...
. The civil parish covers an area of , and included as of 2001 census a resident population of 17,659 inhabitants. The region is known for its famous
ceramic A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcela ...
s industry.


History

Due to its strategic location, at the intersection of several roads from the north and east connecting to Lisbon, Sacavém was an important settlement during periods of
Portuguese History The history of Portugal can be traced from circa 400,000 years ago, when the region of present-day Portugal was inhabited by ''Homo heidelbergensis''. The Roman conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, which lasted almost two centuries, led to the est ...
, with some evidence extending back to pre-history. The Portuguese historian Pinho Leal wrote, in his
chorography Chorography (from χῶρος ''khōros'', "place" and γράφειν ''graphein'', "to write") is the art of describing or mapping a region or district, and by extension such a description or map. This term derives from the writings of the anc ...
''Portugal Antigo & Moderno'' (''Ancient & Modern Portugal''), that "''Sacavém is incontestably a very old settlement, and already existed in the time of the
Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
''". The oldest-known references date back to the
Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...
and
Chalcolithic The Chalcolithic ( ) (also called the Copper Age and Eneolithic) was an archaeological period characterized by the increasing use of smelted copper. It followed the Neolithic and preceded the Bronze Age. It occurred at different periods in di ...
: three polished stone
axe An axe (; sometimes spelled ax in American English; American and British English spelling differences#Miscellaneous spelling differences, see spelling differences) is an implement that has been used for thousands of years to shape, split, a ...
s were discovered from the
Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...
, and in the mid-1980s, excavations in the historical centre of the city revealed a cave with similar artifacts from this period. By the first century, Sacavém was already crossed by two major
Roman roads Roman roads ( ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Republic and the Roman Em ...
that connected the region with the interior of the
Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...
: * ''Via XV'', connecting ''Olissipona'' (
Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...
) and ''Emerita Augusta'' ( Mérida), by way of the important administrative centre of ''Scalabicastrum'', today Santarém; and * ''Via XVI'', which connected ''Olissipona'' to ''Bracara Augusta'' (
Braga Braga (; ) is a cities of Portugal, city and a Municipalities of Portugal, municipality, capital of the northwestern Portugal, Portuguese Braga (district), district of Braga and of the historical and cultural Minho Province. Braga Municipality ...
), capital of the ''
Conventus In Ancient Rome territorial organization, a ''conventus iuridicus'' was the capital city of a subdivision of some provinces (Dalmatia, Hispania, Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It c ...
bracarensis'' in the province of ''
Gallaecia Gallaecia, also known as Hispania Gallaecia, was the name of a Roman province in the north-west of Hispania, approximately present-day Galicia, northern Portugal, Asturias and Leon and the later Kingdom of Gallaecia. The Roman cities inclu ...
''). Remnants of these two Roman ''viæ'' still exist under the modern roads ''Rua do António Ricardo Rodrigues'' and ''Rua do José Luís de Morais'' (the town's two main streets during the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
, which connected the upper and lower districts of Sacavém). Even during this period Sacavém was an important river-crossing; the Romans built a bridge that remained active until the 17th century (according to several sources, such as
Francisco de Holanda Francisco de Holanda (c. 1517 – 19 June 1585) was a Portuguese artist, architect, and art essayist. He served as a court painter for the kings João III of Portugal and Sebastião of Portugal. He was an influential figure in the Portuguese Ren ...
or Miguel Leitão de Andrade). This bridge was a natural continuation of the roads and connected Sacavém with the northern river bank; therefore indirectly included in the famous
Antonine Itinerary The Antonine Itinerary (, "Itinerary of the Emperor Antoninus") is an , a register of the stations and distances along various roads. Seemingly based on official documents, possibly in part from a survey carried out under Augustus, it describes t ...
. The parish's coat-of-arms includes a symbolic depiction of the Roman bridge. Also in the vicinity, an epigraphic inscription is said to have existed (nowadays unknown), but referred to in the
Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum The ''Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum'' (''CIL'') is a comprehensive collection of ancient Latin inscriptions. It forms an authoritative source for documenting the surviving epigraphy of classical antiquity. Public and personal inscriptions throw ...
). Various epigraphs have suggested that this totem identified the Roman magisterial administration of the rural locality. The Roman colony, which was centred on the bridge, was eventually succeeded by barbarians from south-eastern peninsula. The
Alans The Alans () were an ancient and medieval Iranian peoples, Iranic Eurasian nomads, nomadic pastoral people who migrated to what is today North Caucasus – while some continued on to Europe and later North Africa. They are generally regarded ...
were the first to occupy these lands (but left few remnants), and later the
Visigoths The Visigoths (; ) were a Germanic people united under the rule of a king and living within the Roman Empire during late antiquity. The Visigoths first appeared in the Balkans, as a Roman-allied Barbarian kingdoms, barbarian military group unite ...
, who constructed a chapel dedicated to ''Nossa Senhora dos Prazeres'', on the sight of the medieval-era Chapel of ''Nossa Senhora da Vitória'' (''Our Lady of Victory'').


Moorish rule

After 711, 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 ...
occupied the Iberian peninsula; Lisbon () is taken in 716 by
Berbers Berbers, or the Berber peoples, also known as Amazigh or Imazighen, are a diverse grouping of distinct ethnic groups indigenous to North Africa who predate the arrival of Arab migrations to the Maghreb, Arabs in the Maghreb. Their main connec ...
under the command of
Abd al-Aziz ibn Musa Abd al-Aziz ibn Musa ibn Nusayr () was an Arab general and the first governor of Al-Andalus, in modern-day Spain and Portugal. He was the son of Musa ibn Nusayr, the Umayyad governor of Ifriqiya. ‘Abd al-Aziz had a long history of political and ...
(who received the governorship of
Al-Andalus Al-Andalus () was the Muslim-ruled area of the Iberian Peninsula. The name refers to the different Muslim states that controlled these territories at various times between 711 and 1492. At its greatest geographical extent, it occupied most o ...
, in the name of the
Umayyad Caliphate The Umayyad Caliphate or Umayyad Empire (, ; ) was the second caliphate established after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty. Uthman ibn Affan, the third of the Rashidun caliphs, was also a member o ...
of Damascus), who also captured the region of Sacavém. Much like other areas of the
Al-Garb Al-Andalus Gharb al-Andalus (, trans. ''gharb al-ʼandalus''; "west of al-Andalus"), or just al-Gharb (, trans. ''al-gharb''; "the west"), was the name given by the Muslims of Iberia to the region of southern modern-day Portugal and part of West-central ...
(much of ancient Roman
Lusitania Lusitania (; ) was an ancient Iberian Roman province encompassing most of modern-day Portugal (south of the Douro River) and a large portion of western Spain (the present Extremadura and Province of Salamanca). Romans named the region after th ...
), the peoples under Moorish dominion became bi-lingual, while maintaining their Christian faith (not converting until much later). In Sacavém the community that circled the Church of Nossa Senhora dos Prazeres maintained their faith and culture (under the bishop of Lisbon), something that was possible due to the religious tolerance of the invaders to the ''Ahl al-Kitāb'' (or ''
People of the Book People of the Book, or ''Ahl al-Kitāb'' (), is a classification in Islam for the adherents of those religions that are regarded by Muslims as having received a divine revelation from Allah, generally in the form of a holy scripture. The clas ...
''). It is likely that the medieval tower in Sacavém de Cima, in the ''Largo do Terreirinho'', fronting the Chapel of ''Senhora da Saúde'' (in the historic centre of the settlement) originated during this Muslim period, when the local Christians were required to pay
jizya Jizya (), or jizyah, is a type of taxation levied on non-Muslim subjects of a state governed by Sharia, Islamic law. The Quran and hadiths mention jizya without specifying its rate or amount,Sabet, Amr (2006), ''The American Journal of Islamic Soc ...
. The modern name ''Sacavém'' might have come from the
Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
language; for many years experts believed that it came from the word ''šagabi'' (''next'' or ''in the neighbourhood'' – in this case, of Lisbon, an important city even during
Moorish The term Moor is an exonym used in European languages to designate the Muslim populations of North Africa (the Maghreb) and the Iberian Peninsula (particularly al-Andalus) during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a single, distinct or self-defi ...
period)
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 ...
ised to ''sacabis, -is'', becoming ''sacabem'' in the
accusative case In grammar, the accusative case ( abbreviated ) of a noun is the grammatical case used to receive the direct object of a transitive verb. In the English language, the only words that occur in the accusative case are pronouns: "me", "him", "he ...
, and hence, by phonetic modifications during the centuries, ''Sacavém''. Recent investigations, from Arabic sources (namely Yaqut's ''
Kitab Kitab (, ''kitāb''), also transcribed as kitaab, is the Arabic word for "script" or "book" and may refer to: * ''Kitaab'', a 1977 Indian Hindi-language film * ''Kithaab'' (also ''Kitab''), a 2018 Indian Malayalam-language play * ''Kitab'', the R ...
Mu'jam Al-Buldan Yāqūt Shihāb al-Dīn ibn-ʿAbdullāh al-Rūmī al-Ḥamawī (1179–1229) () was a Muslim scholar of Byzantine ancestry active during the late Abbasid period (12th–13th centuries). He is known for his , an influential work on geography con ...
''), indicate that the Muslims used the word ''Šaqabān'' (), incredibly similar to the modern Portuguese pronunciation. During Al-Andalus, Sacavém was considered a ''qarya'' (one of the settlements of al-Ušbuna), but it was administratively integrated into the larger settlement (geographically limited by the Roman ''
conventus In Ancient Rome territorial organization, a ''conventus iuridicus'' was the capital city of a subdivision of some provinces (Dalmatia, Hispania, Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It c ...
''), which was governed by the military governor in Cordova, later by the
emir Emir (; ' (), also Romanization of Arabic, transliterated as amir, is a word of Arabic language, Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocratic, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person po ...
s (756–929) and
caliph A caliphate ( ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with Khalifa, the title of caliph (; , ), a person considered a political–religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a leader of ...
s (929–1031) that governed Al-Andalus. Various seditions against the
Umayyad Caliphate The Umayyad Caliphate or Umayyad Empire (, ; ) was the second caliphate established after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty. Uthman ibn Affan, the third of the Rashidun caliphs, was also a member o ...
rose-up in the emirs and caliphates of Al-Garb Al-Andalus; the revolts of
Ibn Marwan ‘Abd al-Raḥmān ibn Marwān al-Jillīqī (, died ''),'' also known as simply al-Jillīqī (), was a Muwallad whose family had come from what is now northern Portugal and settled near Mérida. In 868, leading a host of Muwallads and Mozarabs ...
of Mérida/
Badajoz Badajoz is the capital of the Province of Badajoz in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain. It is situated close to the Portugal, Portuguese Portugal–Spain border, border, on the left bank of the river ...
or Umār ibn Hafsūn of Bobastro corresponds to a period of weak central government, when the Al Garb was a nominal extension of the Caliphate, an autonomous principality with its seat in Batalyaws (
Badajoz Badajoz is the capital of the Province of Badajoz in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain. It is situated close to the Portugal, Portuguese Portugal–Spain border, border, on the left bank of the river ...
). It was in the period of turmoil preceding the fall of the Caliphates (in 1031) that Sacavém was integrated into the Kingdom of Badajoz (except for a decade around 1020 when it was a part of al-Ušbuna, under ʿAbd al-ʿAziz ibn Sabūr and ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Sabūr (sons of Sabūr al-Saqlabi, a
Slavic Slavic, Slav or Slavonic may refer to: Peoples * Slavic peoples, an ethno-linguistic group living in Europe and Asia ** East Slavic peoples, eastern group of Slavic peoples ** South Slavic peoples, southern group of Slavic peoples ** West Slav ...
serf Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery. It developed du ...
who sparked a revolt in against Caliph
Al-Hakam II Al-Hakam II, also known as Abū al-ʿĀṣ al-Mustanṣir bi-Llāh al-Hakam b. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān (; 13 January 915 – 1 October 976), was the Caliph of Córdoba. He was the second Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba in Al-Andalus, and son of Abd-al-R ...
). This would last until the Aftasids conquered the region. In 1093, in a trade for aid against the
Almoravids The Almoravid dynasty () was a Berber Muslim dynasty centered in the territory of present-day Morocco. It established an empire that stretched over the western Maghreb and Al-Andalus, starting in the 1050s and lasting until its fall to the Almo ...
(from the
Maghreb The Maghreb (; ), also known as the Arab Maghreb () and Northwest Africa, is the western part of the Arab world. The region comprises western and central North Africa, including Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia. The Maghreb al ...
), the emir of Badajoz ceded to the ''imperator totius Hispaniæ''
Alfonso VI of León and Castile Alfonso VI (1 July 1109), nicknamed the Brave (''El Bravo'') or the Valiant, was king of Kingdom of León, León (10651109), Kingdom of Galicia, Galicia (10711109), and Kingdom of Castile, Castile (10721109). After the conquest of Toledo, Spai ...
the castles of al-Ušbuna and aš-Šantaryin ( Santarém), along with the territory of Sacavém. But the regions return to Christianity lasted for a short time; in 1095, with the advance of the Almoravid forces, led by
Yusuf ibn Tashfin Yusuf ibn Tashfin, also Tashafin, Teshufin, (; reigned c. 1061 – 1106) was a Sanhaja leader of the Almoravid Empire. He cofounded the city of Marrakesh and led the Muslim forces in the Battle of Sagrajas. Yusuf ibn Tashfin came to al-And ...
, Count
Raymond of Galicia Raymond of Burgundy (c. 1070 – 24 May 1107) was the ruler of Galicia as vassal of Alfonso VI of León and Castile, the Emperor of All Spain, from about 1090 until his death. He was the fourth son of Count William I of Burgundy and Stephanie. ...
was defeated in battle, resulting in the Arab-Christian frontier advancing from the
Tagus River 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 ...
to the Mondego. By 1144, the Al-Garb led by Ibn Qasi revolted against the Almoravids. Although the Almoravids were dominant in the first few years, they were in decline when
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 ...
definitively captured Lisbon (al-Ušbuna) in October 1147.


Middle Ages

According to an old legend, it was near the
bank A bank is a financial institution that accepts Deposit account, deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital m ...
of the Trancão that the mythical
battle of Sacavém river A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force co ...
took place, between King Afonso I of Portugal and the Moors, in October 1147. The tradition (fixed probably in the 16th century) says that the Moorish people had gathered around 5,000 men from all Estremadura ( Alenquer, Óbidos,
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 ...
,
Torres Novas Torres Novas () is a Portugal, Portuguese Concelho, municipality in the district of Santarém (district), Santarém, in the Médio Tejo Subregion, Médio Tejo of the Oeste e Vale do Tejo region. The population of the municipality was approximately ...
and
Torres Vedras Torres Vedras () is a concelho, municipality in the Portugal, Portuguese district of Lisbon (district), Lisbon, approximately north of the capital Lisbon. It is a strong agricultural region thanks to its vineyards, and has an intense commercial ...
) to fight against only 1,500 Christians, but the latter defeated the Muslims in a large blood bath, with this wondrous victory personally attributed to the intervention of the
Holy Virgin Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under various titles such as virgin or queen, many of them mentioned in the Litany of Loret ...
, which brought many Christians speaking strange languages (this is, the
crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding t ...
that took
Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...
that same year). The legend says also that the Moorish leader Bezai Zaide had even converted to
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
and became the first priest at the ''Chapel of Our Lady of Martyrs'' () that Afonso Henriques ordered to be built just a few days after the clash. On the other hand, the first Portuguese monarch had also ordered the rebuilding of the old Visigoth ''Chapel of Our Lady of Pleasures'' (), ruined during the Moorish rule (although Christian faith in
Al-Andalus Al-Andalus () was the Muslim-ruled area of the Iberian Peninsula. The name refers to the different Muslim states that controlled these territories at various times between 711 and 1492. At its greatest geographical extent, it occupied most o ...
was allowed by the emirs against the payment of a tribute). This church was dedicated to ''Our Lady of Victory'' (), and became the seat of the ecclesiastical parish. However, the first documented mention of Sacavém is in 1191 (forty-four years after the conquest), in a paper signed by King
Sancho I of Portugal Sancho I (born ; Coimbra, 11 November 115426 March 1211) also referred to as Sancho the Populator (), was King of Portugal from 1185 until his death in 1211. He was the second king of Portugal. Sancho was the second but only surviving legitimat ...
. Pinho Leal reported that in the 12th century Sacavém was a parish with 900 houses, but this number is, however, is regarded today as too high for that time. During the 13th century, it seems that in Sacavém there existed an important
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
community, living in a
ghetto A ghetto is a part of a city in which members of a minority group are concentrated, especially as a result of political, social, legal, religious, environmental or economic pressure. Ghettos are often known for being more impoverished than other ...
outside the parish. In 1288, the
priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...
of Sacavém was one of the signatories of a letter requesting that the
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 ...
install a
university A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...
in
Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...
. At the end of the 14th century, king
Ferdinand I of Portugal Ferdinand I (; 31 October 1345 – 22 October 1383), sometimes called the Handsome () or occasionally the Inconstant (), was the King of Portugal from 1367 until his death in 1383. He was also briefly made King of Galicia, in 1369 (a claim whi ...
donated Sacavém to his wife
Leonor Telles de Menezes Leonor Teles (or Teles de Meneses; ) was queen consort of Portugal by marriage to King Ferdinand I, and regent of Portugal. She was one of the protagonists, along with her brothers and her daughter Beatrice, of the events that led to the su ...
. Although the place belonged at that time thus to the sphere of influence of the queen-consort, it supported the later King
John I of Portugal John I ( WP:IPA for Portuguese, uˈɐ̃w̃ 11 April 1357 – 14 August 1433), also called John of Aviz, was King of Portugal from 1385 until his death in 1433. He is recognized chiefly for his role in Portugal's victory in 1383–85 crisi ...
in his struggle for power. Therefore, after his triumph in 1385, Sacavém was administratively included in
Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...
, but donated to the major supporter of the new king,
Nuno Álvares Pereira '' Dom'' Nuno Álvares Pereira, OCarm (; 24 June 1360 – 1 November 1431) was a very successful Portuguese general who had a decisive role in the 1383–1385 Crisis that assured Portugal's independence from Castile. He later became a my ...
. Later, by the wedding of his daughter to the first
Duke of Braganza The title Duke of Braganza () in the House of Braganza is one of the most important titles in the peerage of Portugal. Starting in 1640, when the House of Braganza acceded to the throne of Portugal, the male heir of the Portuguese Crown were ...
, Sacavém became a property of the powerful
House of Braganza The Most Serene House of Braganza (), 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 Europe and the Americas. The hous ...
.
São João da Talha São João da Talha is a town and former ''freguesia'' (civil parish) in the municipality of Loures, Portugal. Since 2013, it is part of the ''freguesia'' Santa Iria de Azoia, São João da Talha e Bobadela Santa Iria de Azoia, São João da Tal ...
, until then known as ''Sacavém Extra-Muros'' (''Sacavém outside the walls'') became an independent parish, split from Sacavém in 1387. In the
Late Middle Ages The late Middle Ages or late medieval period was the Periodization, period of History of Europe, European history lasting from 1300 to 1500 AD. The late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period ( ...
, several chronicles (such as those of
Duarte Nunes de Leão Duarte Nunes de Leão (, Évora — 1608, Lisbon) was a Portugal, Portuguese lawyer, grammarian and historian. Works * 1560 - Repertorio dos cinquo liuros das Ordenações : com addições das lejs extrauagantes' (Repertoire of the five laws of ...
and
Rui de Pina Rui (or Ruy) de Pina (1440–1522) was a Portuguese chronicler. Biography Rui (or Ruy) de Pina was a native of Guarda. He acted as secretary of the embassy sent by King John II of Portugal to Castile in the spring of 1482, and in the foll ...
) mentioned Sacavém. These two
chronicler A chronicle (, from Greek ''chroniká'', from , ''chrónos'' – "time") is a historical account of events arranged in chronological order, as in a timeline. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events, ...
s stated that the royal family, before the
conquest of Ceuta The Portuguese conquest of Ceuta took place on 21 August 1415, between Portuguese forces under the command of King John I of Portugal and the Marinid Sultanate, Marinid sultanate of Morocco at the city of Ceuta. The city's defenses fell unde ...
in 1415, fled to Sacavém, in order to escape from the plague that arose in
Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...
. There the queen-consort
Philippa of Lancaster Philippa of Lancaster ( ; 31 March 1360 – 19 July 1415) was Queen of Portugal from 1387 until 1415 as the wife of King John I. Born into the royal family of England, her marriage secured the Treaty of Windsor and produced several children ...
died of the plague, her body was carried to
Batalha Monastery The Monastery of Batalha () is a Dominican convent in the municipality of Batalha, historical Beira Litoral province, in the Centro of Portugal. Originally, and officially, known as the ''Monastery of Saint Mary of the Victory'' (), it was erec ...
where her remains were buried. However, another chronicler,
Gomes Eanes de Zurara Gomes Eanes de Zurara (c. 1410 – c. 1474), sometimes spelled Eannes or Azurara, was a Portuguese chronicler of the European Age of Discovery, the most notable after Fernão Lopes. Life and career Zurara adopted the career of letters in mid ...
reports that the royal family fled to
Odivelas Odivelas () is a municipality in the Lisbon metropolitan area, Portugal. The municipality is located 8 km northwest of the center of Lisbon. Predominantly a residential suburb, the population in 2021 was 148 034, in an area of 26.54 km2 (one of t ...
(and therefore not to Sacavém), and that the queen died there.


The Modern Era

The
Fort of Sacavém A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...
was built in 1892 as the easternmost of a line of forts designed to circle Lisbon, known as the "Entrenched Field of Lisbon" (''Campo Entrincheirado de Lisboa''). It now houses important government archives. Taking advantage of its proximity to the River
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 ...
and opportunities presented by the opening of a railway line to the north of Lisbon, Sacavém became an important area for Portugal's industrial development from the middle of the 19th century. The first significant factory, the ''Fábrica da Loiça'', produced crockery and ceramics. Now closed, it is now celebrated at the Ceramics Museum of Sacavém, which also has a documentation centre covering the industrial development of the town. Sacavém was the site of Portugal's first fatal aviation accident on June 13, 1913. Giovanni Manio lost control of his Blériot monoplane at 450 feet during a display flight, being thrown from the cockpit and fatally striking his propeller before he hit the ground. The plane was written off.


Geography

Sacavém is located in the eastern part of
Loures Loures () is a city and a municipality in Portugal which is part of the Lisbon District, District and Lisbon Metropolitan Area, Metropolitan area of Lisbon. It is the fifth most populous municipality in the country, with a total population of 201, ...
municipality, bordering the parishes of Unhos (northwest),
Camarate Camarate () is a former civil parish in the municipality of Loures, Lisbon District, Portugal. In 2013, the parish merged into the new parish Camarate, Unhos e Apelação. With a population of 23,000 inhabitants in 2001, the parish of Camarate e ...
(west), Prior Velho (southwest), Portela (south) as well as Moscavide (southeast). To the east lies the
Tagus River 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 ...
, and to north the Trancão River (formerly known as ''Sacavém River''), separating Sacavém from Bobadela parish. The ''Ribeira do Prior Velho'', also flows through the city crossing it in underground channels. The parish's terrain is relatively flat. The northern bank of the Tagus is approximately at sea level, while the border of Sacavém with the parishes of
Camarate Camarate () is a former civil parish in the municipality of Loures, Lisbon District, Portugal. In 2013, the parish merged into the new parish Camarate, Unhos e Apelação. With a population of 23,000 inhabitants in 2001, the parish of Camarate e ...
and Unhos is above the sea. However, there are several hills such as ''Monte Cintra'' and ''Monte do Convento'' (both reaching about in height). Traditionally, Sacavém has been divided in two areas: * ''Sacavém de Cima'' (''Upper Sacavém''), comprising the historical center of the town, around the ''Capela de Nossa Senhora da Saúde e de Santo André'' (''Chapel of Our Lady of Health and
Saint Andrew Andrew the Apostle ( ; ; ; ) was an apostle of Jesus. According to the New Testament, he was a fisherman and one of the Twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus. The title First-Called () used by the Eastern Orthodox Church stems from the Gospel of Jo ...
''); * ''Sacavém de Baixo'' (''Lower Sacavém''), near the bank of the Trancão River, where the parochial Church and the old
monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...
of the Order of Poor Clares are situated. In the last few decades, besides these two urban areas, new urban agglomerations have emerged, such as ''Courela do Foguete'', ''Fonte Perra'', ''Olival Covo'', ''Quinta do Património'' and ''Real Forte'', as well as ''Terraços da Ponte''. The latter area replaced the old and much degraded ''Quinta do Mocho'' zone, which was the centre an
Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
n emigrant community, from the former Portuguese
colonies A colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule, which rules the territory and its indigenous peoples separated from the foreign rulers, the colonizer, and their '' metropole'' (or "mother country"). This separated rule was often or ...
, that returned to Portugal after the
Carnation Revolution The Carnation Revolution (), code-named Operation Historic Turn (), also known as the 25 April (), was a military coup by military officers that overthrew the Estado Novo government on 25 April 1974 in Portugal. The coup produced major socia ...
in 1974, and whom lived in poor conditions, over the past three decades.


Architecture

The parish of Sacavém is region of several nationally and regionally recognizable architectural monuments, although many are not classified as architecturally significant under the auspices of the IGESPAR designations. Many of these structures include buildings dating back to the Baroque and late medieval period of Portuguese growth.


Civic

* Arch of Largo do Olaio (); an 18th- and 19th-century entrance to the Cabrias family estate; * Barrio of Quinta da Vitória () * Residence Largo Pedro Gomes Junior (); 18th-century residence with dependencies within walls, adapted for bourgeois use; * Residence Quinta de São José (), a residence located on the grounds of the São José estate, with ceilings of painted wood and silars of figurative azueljo; * Residence Praça da Republica, No.18–21 (), a striking salmon-colored residence designed in the 20th century; * Residence Praceta D. João I (), the ruins of a large signeurial house, in an advance state of ruin, but dating to the 19th or early 20th century; * Residence Rua Tenente Possidónio Coelho, No.14–18 (), another 20th-century two-storey residence, integrated into a concentrated urban environment;


Religious

* Convent of the Poor Clares and Church of Nossa Senhora da Purificação (), the Mannerist architecture devoted originally to the monastery of the Poor Clares Xabreganas, and later operated by the Ministry of War, before being plans were established to convert the spaces into commercial and leisure services, a civic centre and local ''Junta de Freguesia'';


See also

* Quinta do Mocho murals, a public art project in Sacavém *
History of Sacavém The history of Sacavém is the history of a town that, due to its strategic location —at the crossroads of the roads leading to Lisbon from the north and east— has been present in almost all the key dates of History of Portugal, Portuguese his ...


References

;Notes ;Sources * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sacavem Cities in Portugal Former parishes of Loures