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[ Guia, Albufeira, Ferreiras,
Paderne, Olhos de Água ]
In Roman
times Albufeira was called Baltum. There are Roman bridges in Paderne
and Guia. Arabs occupied the town in the 8th century and renamed it
Al- Buhera, which means, "Castle on the Sea". During 5 centuries of
Arabian rule, Al-Buhera had an intensive trade with North Africa. Together
with Faro it was one of the last Arabian strongholds to be conquered
by the Portuguese in 1250. King Manuel gave Albufeira a new charter in
1404, granting it the status of town. The earthquake of 1755 damaged
a great part of Albufeira. A second disaster happened in 1833 during
a civil war between liberals and absolutists.
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Albufeira had
been one of thefirst towns in the Algarve to support
the liberal ideals. Later, during the civil war, it
was attacked and the guerrillas, who controlled the
town for 4 years, destroyed some buildings. In the
old part of the town you still can see ruins of the
old city walls. Until the 1960´s Albufeira was
a small fishing village. Nowadays it is the major tourism
centre of the Algarve.
Built at the end of the 18th century, the church possesses an imposing
bell tower. The interior consists of a single nave. On the high altar
there is a valuable statue of Nossa Senhora da Conceição
(Our Lady of the Conception), and a retable painted by the Algarvian
artist Samora Barros.
The side altars and the sacristy contain statures from the 18th and 19th
centuries. There is a stature of Nossa Senhora da Orada (Our Lady of
Supplication) possible dating from the 15th century. The local fishermen
in their annual procession the hermitage dedicated to her carried this.
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This structure dates from the beginning of the 18th century and it is
built in the popular manner. Its main doorway bears baroque ornamentation
and it has a side doorway in the Manueline style (16th Century). It is
decorated cupola and the ratable of the high altar has colored carving
and statues from the 17th and 18th centuries. There is a statue of Nossa
Senora da Piedade (Our Lady of Piety), 16th century, which unfortunately
has been damaged.
The Architectural features of he church, which has a cupola, surrounded
by pinnacles, are popular in origin, 18th century. The high altar and
pulpit are carved in the "rocaille" style around 18th century.
A typical rural hermitage, built
in a once deserted valley. Much frequented
by fishermen, it contains "ex-votos" depicting
miracles. In the churchyard, two
graves belonging to victims of the
constitutional struggles of the 19th
are to be found.
This Chapel stands on the site of a former Moorish mosque; the building
was restored in 1499 as a chapel. It was rebuilt after the earthquake
of 1755; it nevertheless retains some of its earlier gothic 15th century
features such as the doorway, the triumphal arch and the apse. It has
a carved retable on the high altar with statues from the 17th and 18th
centuries. Also nearby is the gothic doorway of the old hostelry.
Located in what was one the county jail it has a curious decorative structure
in wrought iron to support the bell. Castle walls The defensive walls
that one ringed Albufeira have been almost totally destroyed by time
and the earthquake of 1755, and all that remain are the ruins of the
tower. Porta de Sant'Ana (St. Anne's Gate) and a defensive tower of belonging
to the North Gate that has been turned into a restaurant.
This is a footpath along the edge of the sea, which offers magnificent
views of the city, the beaches and the rock formations, which are part
of the charm of Albufeira. It leads to the pretty cave at Xorino, where
according to local tradition the Moors took refuge when the town was
re-conquered by the Christians in the 13th Century.
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