[ Martim Logo,
Vaqueiros, Giões,
Pereiro, Alcoutim ]
1. History
Forming one of Algarve's natural boundaries, the
Guadiana River brings the cool of running water
to the harsh beauty of a landscape seared by the
sun. Alcoutim cannot fail to charm visitors, inviting
them to wander the streets or spend a peaceful
hour or two on an esplanade by the water's edge.
Menhirs and dolmens are testament to a human presence at the end of the
Neolithic and beginning of the Chalcolithic (approx. 4,000B.C.) in the
context of the megalithic culture that covered the whole of what is now
Portugal.
It was the deposits of copper; iron and manganese that attracted man
from about 2,500 B.C until the time of the Roman occupation and a number
of mines were established. The ores dug from them were smelted locally,
and then shipped down the Guadiana River to the Mediterranean and from
there to the four corners of the Empire.
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It was the deposits
of copper; iron and manganese that attracted man from
about 2,500 B.C until the time of the Roman occupation
and a number of mines were established. The ores dug
from them were smelted locally, and then shipped down
the Guadiana River to the Mediterranean and from there
to the four corners of the Empire.
Human occupation continued under the rule of the Visigoths and then the
Moors between the 5th to the 13th centuries, often on the same sites.
Some of the Settlements still to be found in Alcoutim municipality.
Alcoutim's origins are presumably linked to the fact that it is situated
at the place where the Guadiana becomes tidal. These vessels that plied
the trade in metals and other wares were obliged to wait at this spot
for hours, until conditions allowed them to sail down the river.
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Consequently there
was a need for structured to support and defend them.
Conquered during the reign of King Sancho II, in 124',
the town of Alcoutim was not repopulated until that of
King Dinis, who granted it a charter in 1304 and, in
view of its strategic position in relation to the neighboring
kingdom of Castile, granted it to the Military Order
of Santiago
At the time of the wars between Portugal and Castile in the 14th century,
a peace treaty between Kings Fernando I e Henrique was signed in the
middle of the river opposite Alcoutim.
There followed centuries of peace interrupted only by the War of restoration
(1640-1668) and during the first half of the 19th century between the
liberals and defenders of the absolutist monarchy, when the fearless
guerilla leader Remexido hid with his forces in the hills of Alcoutim
and the surrounding region.
The decline of the mining industry, the difficulty of raising crops on
the area's poor soils, the town's distance from the coast and the Guadiana
river's diminishing importance as a transport route all lead to a lengthy
period of economic stagnation for Alcoutim and its municipality that
has only gradually been reversed in recent decades.
2. Culture
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-
The Castle -
The castle stands on
an imposing site overlooking the river whish archaeological
digs suggest this area was inhabited during the Iron
Age and at the beginning of the Roman occupation.
The Castle was built in the 14th century to defend the
border; it was altered in the 17th century to adapt it
for artillery. The broad circle of ramparts intersected
with towers affords panoramic views. Inside there is
a small museum, which displays archaeological finds and
remains of the buildings discovered during the excavations.
-
Main Church -
This is and example of the first
Renaissance buildings erected in
the Algarve. Built between 1538 and
1554 on the site of a medieval church
it's subsequently rebuilt on a number
of occasions. It has a fine porch
surmounted by the arms of the Marquises
of Vila Real and Counts of Alcoutim
with the characteristic emblem of
interwoven Holm oak branches and
the inscription "Aleo" associated
with the raising of the Moorish siege
of the recently conquered city of
Ceuta by Pedro de Meneses (1418/19).
Inside there are three naves with
pillars decorated with attractive
capitals. There is a main chapel
and side chapels with carved retable.
There is and interest collection
of sculpted figures. In the sacristy
there are three ogival fanlights.
-
Hermitage of Nossa Senhora da Conceição
-
Our Lady of the Conception
All
that remains of the Manueline church
(16th century) that replaced the
original Gothic structure is the
porch. The current building dates
from the 18th century. An interesting decorated baroque stairway gives
access to a spacious atrium, which offers a magnificent view over the
town and the surrounding fields. Together the lime washed walls the round
cupola of the main altar and the bell over the porch, now guarded by
a storks nest make up a typically Algarvean picture.
The gilded and carved retable of its main altar and its sculptures, most
notably that of its patron saint, makes the hermitage well worth a visit.
- An old
Moorish settlement -
Approximately 1 km outside Alcoutim, across the modern bridge that spans
the Cadavais creek, the ruins of Castelo Velho are to be found at the
top a hill overlooking the river, This was a Moorish settlement protected
by ramparts and four-sided towers that was founded in the 8th and 9th
centuries. The ruins are a fascinating reminder of a culture that had
a profound influence on the Algarve but has left little material evidence
of its presence. |
