| Vila Real de Santo António | |||
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| — Municipality — | |||
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| Coordinates: 37°12′N 7°25′W / 37.2°N 7.417°WCoordinates: 37°12′N 7°25′W / 37.2°N 7.417°W | |||
| Country |  Portugal |
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| Region | Algarve | ||
| Subregion | Algarve | ||
| District/A.R. | Faro | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Luís Filipe Soromenho Gomes (PPD/PSD) | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 57.53 km2 (22.2 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2001) | |||
| - Total | 17,956 | ||
| - Density | 312.1/km2 (808.3/sq mi) | ||
| Parishes (no.) | 3 | ||
| Municipal holiday | Anniversary of the foundation of the city (May 13, 1774) May 13 |
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| Website | http://www.cm-vrsa.pt | ||
Vila Real de Santo António (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈvilɐ ʁiˈaɫ dɨ ˈsɐ̃tu ɐ̃ˈtɔnju], often run together as [ˈvilɐ ʁiˈaɫ dɨ sɐ̃tɐ̃ˈtɔnju]) is a city, civil parish, and municipality in the Algarve, Portugal[1]. It is one of only three municipalities in Portugal without territorial continuity (the others being Oliveira de Frades and Montijo): its territory comprehends two parts, with the municipal seat located in the eastern part. Both the city and the municipality are the southeasternmost of Portugal. Vila Real de Santo António was founded after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, and largely expanded in 1774 using the same architectural and construction techniques employed in the reconstruction of Lisbon after the disaster.
The city is situated next to the Guadiana river. Before the construction of the Guadiana International Bridge (in its neighboring upstream municipality of Castro Marim) it used to be the easiest access to Portugal from Andalusia (via ferry from the Spanish city of Ayamonte across the river). Nevertheless, international movement of people and goods is still intense and much visible in the city.
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Civil parishes
The municipality of Vila Real de Santo António is divided into three civil parishes. They are:
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| Civil parishes of the municipality of Vila Real de Santo António: 1-Vila Real de Santo António 2-Monte Gordo 3-Vila Nova de Cacela |
Civil parish of Vila Real de Santo António
This civil parish contains the city of Vila Real de Santo António which in turn is the seat of the municipality of Vila Real de Santo António (and thus all bear the same name).
Civil parish of Monte Gordo
This civil parish contains the seaside town and tourist resort of Monte Gordo, which is located less than three kilometers from the city of Vila Real de Santo António. The two are separated by a large section of woodland.
Civil parish of Vila Nova de Cacela
This civil parish is separated from the remaining two civil parishes of the municipality of Vila Real de Santo António by the parishes of Altura and Castro Marim (both comprising the municipality of Castro Marim), effectively splitting in two parts the municipality of Vila Real de Santo António. Yet its area is much larger than the other two civil parishes combined. Vila Nova de Cacela is an extremely rare example of an exclave among Portugal's units of administrative division. The town of Vila Nova de Cacela was formed in 1927 when the seat of the civil parish was transferred from Cacela Velha (then known as simply "Cacela") to a new urban agglomeration formed by the villages of Bornacha, Buraco and Coutada. The town and popular seaside resort of Manta Rota is located in this civil parish, next to Cacela Island (which is actually a peninsula).
Geography and climate
The municipality of Vila Real de Santo António is bordered to the north by the municipality of Castro Marim and to the west by the municipality of Tavira. It is washed by the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and by the Guadiana river to the east (across which is located the municipality of Ayamonte, Andalusia, Spain).
The city of Vila Real de Santo António is situated at 37°12′ north 7°25′ west, making it and its surroundings the southeasternmost tip of Portugal. The city lies on one side of the mouth of the Guadiana river, at the point where it flows into the Atlantic Ocean. Spain lies on the opposite side of the river, and from there are directly facing Vila Real de Santo António the city of Ayamonte and its adjacent Isla Canela.
The topography of the municipality is diverse. Marshes are common, especially north of the city where a section of the salty wetlands became the Castro Marim and Vila Real de Santo António Marsh Natural Reserve (established in 1975, this was continental Portugal's first natural reserve). Woodlands spread for a considerable area within the plain civil parishes of Vila Real de Santo António and Monte Gordo. In Vila Nova de Cacela, barren lands and schistous hills are more predominant. The easternmost part of the Ria Formosa system of lagoons is located in this civil parish.
The three civil parishes are washed by the Atlantic Ocean. Each has several kilometers of continuous sandy beaches.
The climate of the region is Mediterranean. Winters are short and mild, while summers are usually very hot. November and December are the rainiest months. On average, the municipality has around 300 sunny days a year.
History
Vila Real de Santo António has a relatively recent history. The region was sparsely populated prior to its foundation. For centuries, Castro Marim was the only town protecting the area from neighboring hostile Spain. But on December 30, 1773, during the reign of Joseph I, a royal decree was signed demanding the creation of a new town in the tip of the Algarve. The exact motives behind this decision are unclear, but they may include the following: to increase human presence near the Spanish border to help prevent any unauthorized incursions; to better control duty charged on cross-border transactions; to be better prepared to defend from a full scale attack; to provoke Spain with a state-of-the-art town easily seen from Ayamonte; or to simply rebuild the nearby town of Santo António de Arenilha and resettle its population. Santo António de Arenilha was a medieval piscatory town that was destroyed by the sea, possibly by a tsunami triggered by the devastating 1755 Lisbon earthquake. Yet the new town inherited part of its predecessor's name ("Vila Real de Santo António" means "Royal Town of Santo António").
Vila Real de Santo António was erected at great speed, in only two years time (construction took place between 1774 and 1776). The Marquis of Pombal was responsible for its planning. He designed the town in a Pombaline orthogonal grid, much like the one he did to rebuild Lisbon's downtown, which had also been destroyed by the earthquake. In a pioneering technique, entire buildings were prefabricated in pieces outside the city, and then transported to their final destination to be assembled. This procedure permitted a fast and methodical construction of the town. It soon became the seat of the municipality, stripping the once important town of Cacela from this status. Cacela had been steadily declining due to the effects of the earthquake and also English pirate attacks.
Vila Real de Santo António started to thrive by the end of the 19th century thanks to the growth of the fish industry and concentration of fish-processing plants in the city. Tuna and sardine were particularly important to the city's economy. In 1886, it became the first city in the Algarve to have gas lighting installed.
The fish industry came to a decline in the 1960s and tourism quickly took over as the principal income generator. Its extensive stretch of sandy beaches attracts both national and international tourists, especially during the warm season. Monte Gordo is particularly visitor-oriented, counting with many hotels, bars and a casino.
Environment
The municipality has a rich fauna and flora. Chameleons, oysters, and jellyfish (of the genus Rhopilema) are among the species that can be found in the region and its coastal waters. Carob trees, gum rockrose, brooms and almond trees are examples of flora present in the area.
The establishment in 1975 of the Castro Marim and Vila Real de Santo António Marsh Natural Reserve provided a refuge for several species of birds, namely mallards, flamingos, Kentish plovers, little terns, pied avocets, dunlins, stilts, white storks, and spoonbills. Some species of fish and crustaceans breed in the reserve.
Demography
| Evolution 1801 - 2004 | |
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| Year | Population |
| 1801 | 2,112 |
| 1849 | 3,953 |
| 1900 | 9,817 |
| 1930 | 12,313 |
| 1960 | 14,999 |
| 1981 | 16,347 |
| 1991 | 14,400 |
| 2001 | 17,956 |
| 2004 | 18,158 |
Vila Real de Santo António is one of the most densely populated municipalities of the Algarve, with a population density above the national average.
Economy
Tuna and sardine fisheries were and still are particularly important to both the city's and the Algarve's economy. However, the fish industry came to a decline in the 1960s and tourism quickly took over as the principal income generator and attracts both national and international tourists, especially during the warm season. Administration and general services are also well developed in the city.
Politics
Orange: PSD victory; Pink: PS victory.
Luís Gomes, the candidate by the PSD (Social Democratic Party), was elected mayor in the 2005 local elections. In those elections, the PSD was the most voted party in the civil parishes of Vila Real de Santo António and Monte Gordo, while the PS (Socialist Party) won in Vila Nova de Cacela. Abstention reached 35% in the whole of the municipality.
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Transportation
There is a frequent direct DMU service to Lagos with connections to mainline electric trains at Faro.
Close proximity to the main A22 road enables easy travel to other parts of the Country to the west and across the border into Spain.
Culture
Several artists were born and/or worked in Vila Real de Santo António, providing a rich heritage in literature and visual arts. The native poet António Aleixo was particularly prominent. Xylographer Manuel Cabanas stood out in the city's artistic panorama and was a fierce opponent of the Portuguese dictatorship.
References
- ^ Detail Regional Map, Algarve- Southern Portugal, ISBN 3-8297-6235-6
External links
- Official municipal website (Portuguese)
- Vila Real de Santo António Online (Portuguese)
- Local History (Portuguese)
- Map of the region
- Vila Real de Santo António at Portugal Travel Guide
- Pictures and brief description of the city
- Castro Marim and Vila Real de Santo António Marsh Natural Reserve ((Portuguese))
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