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Santar�m History
This town claims 3000 years of habitation with physical evidence discovered
dating from the Iron Age. The Emperor Julius Caesar named the place Praesidium
Julium and used it as an administration centre for his Legions. The Moors who
occupied the town from 715 named it Xantarim in memory of the 7th Century Saint
Iria a martyred nun from the town of Tomar. The poet Ibn Bassam who was born in
the town and highly considered in Lusitanian culture has left to prosperity some
beautiful descriptions of the place. The Portuguese King ousted the Moors in
1147 and gave it its present name and later used the town in which to
occasionally hold the influential �Cortes� (a form of parliament which was
initially attended by only landed gentry and later extended to clerics and
leading townsmen). Both Dom Afonso IV and Dom Jo�o II were acclaimed Kings of
Portugal from this town. Prince Henry the Navigator was a regular visitor to the
town with properties, estates and commercial businesses to attend to, one of
which was the industry of making soap. In the 15th Century the town was
considered the second most important town in the whole of Portugal due to its
number of inhabitants and ranking in popularity with the Royal Family. During
the French invasion of 1811 the town was used by General Massena as a
headquarters for his troops and most churches and palaces were sacked by these
invaders. Its most recent contribution to history was when on the 24th of April
1974, Capit�o Salgueiro Maia led is column of men to Lisbon to arrest both the
President and Prime Minister of Portugal as part of the successful and popular
Revolution. Today, the population of this town is approximately 29.000
inhabitants.
Santar�m Description
Santar�m has many outstanding buildings keeping it's original architecture and
history. Within the town there is a site of what was originally an important
Roman Temple dating from the 1st Century. In the heart of the old town is the
17th Century Igreja do Semin�rio built on the original site of a royal palace by
the request of Dom Jo�o IV and then given as a reward to the Order of Jesuits.
The multi-windowed structure has a large interior with hand painted ceiling and
marble decorations. The Chapel of Erguida pelos Templ�rios dating from the 12th
Century has been reconstructed as the Igreja da Alc��ova. The 12th Century
Igreja do Marvila has been also been reconstructed in the 17th Century and has a
striking Manueline portal with tiling from this period. The 72-foot high Torre
das Caba�as has suffered a lot of restoration work thus losing its original
medieval architectural charm and is attached to the 12th Century Igreja de S�o
Jo�o de Alpor�o with its strong rugged appearance. The historic buildings have
suffered during the centuries and none more so than that of the Convento de S�o
Francisco whose church was converted into a stable and the marble tombs were
emptied (including that of the King Fernando), so as to be used as water troughs
for the horses. The finely worked tomb of Duarte de Meneses can be found in the
Museu Arqueol�gico. The tomb is to the memory of a man who was the Governor of
Ceuta, a Christian defended stronghold in Morocco. He fought bravely several
time in its defence before dying to the sword. In the Igreja da Gra�a there is
the tomb of Pedro �lvares Cabral, who discovered in 1500 the land now known as
Brazil. In the Igreja do Santissimo Milagre there is an unusual relic in a small
crystal container. The liquid within it is said to be the blood of Christ which
based on a legend from the 13th Century. Apparently, holy water that was being
used by a priest helping in a marital problem suddenly turned into blood. The
striking simplicity of the Igreja de Santa Clara is all that remains of the
important 13th Century Convent founded by King Afonso III.
Santar�m is an important bullfighting centre and it is at its height during the
annual Feira da Ribatejo that takes place in June. This event is the largest
agricultural fair of its kind in Portugal and the town takes on a busy crowded
atmosphere as it draws people from all parts of the country.
Santar�m Nearby Locations
Just to the north of the town is the smaller town of Alpiar�a in which there is
the Casa Museu dos Patudos. Here there is a collection of fine paintings,
ceramics and works of art belonging to the Portuguese diplomat Jos� Relvas
(1858-1929). It includes works by such masters as Leonardo da Vinci, Albrecht
Durer and Delacroix. Extending from the house is an estate devoted to the
raising of bulls and horses that can be visited and shown the traditional "campinos"
expertly manipulate the herds. Within Alpiarca is a house with striking
decoration which was the home of the father of Jos� Relvas. Further to the north
is Goleg�. This small town is devoted to the breeding of horses, both for the
bullring and for show jumping and dressage. Every year in November the Feira
Nacional de Cavalo is held drawing enthusiasts and dealers from all over the
Europe. Also in this town there are the two museums, one devoted to the
photographic work of Carlos Relvas, and the other exhibiting the work of the
artist Martins Correia. Further to the south of Santar�m with its ruins of its
13th Century castle is the town of Alenquer. This was the birthplace of several
famous historic Portuguese people including their famous explorer Vasco do Gama.
Santar�m Golf
Ammaia (Marv�o)
Santar�m Map (Click Here)
Santar�m Weather
     
Santar�m Events
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Festas de Amiais de Baixo |
End of January |
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Festas da Cidade |
March |
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Town Holiday |
19th March |
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Feira do Milagre |
2nd & 3rd weeks of April |
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Feira do Vinho - (Alpiar�a) |
May |
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Feira Nac. de Agricultura do Ribatejo |
17th - 25th June |
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Festival Int. de Folclore |
September |
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Feira da Piedade |
2nd & 3rd weeks of Oct. |
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Festival Nacional de Gastronomia |
November |
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Feira de S. Martinho |
3rd - 12th November |
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Feira Internacional do Cavalo |
3rd - 12th November |
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Market Day |
2nd & 4th week of the month |
Santar�m Information
 800 296 296 - Support to Tourists
112 - SOS
243 304 200 - Town Hall
243 333 122 - Fire Brigade
243 322 022 - Police
243 300 200 - Hospital
243 304 437 - Tourist Office
Santar�m Locations of Interest
Church - Igreja de Santo Estev�o
Church - Igreja da Miseric�rdia
Church - Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Concei��o do Antigo Col�gio dos Jesu�tas
Church - Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Gra�a
Church - Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Piedade
Church - Igreja de Santa Clara
Church - Igreja de Santa Cruz da Ribeira
Church - Igreja de Santa Iria
Church - Igreja de Santa Maria de Alc��ova
Church - Igreja de Santa Maria de Marvila
Church - Igreja do Santissimo Milagre
Church - Igreja de S�o Francisco
Church - Igreja de S�o Jo�o de Alpor�o
Church - Igreja de S�o Nicolau
Convento das Donas
Fountain - Fonte das Figueiras
Roman Site - Templo de Scallabis
Tower - Torre do Cabaceiro
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