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Belmonte (Portugal)
Encyclopedia
Belmonte (ˌbɛɫˈmõt) is a municipality in Portugal
. It has a total area of 118.8 km² and a total population of 7,662 inhabitants.
The municipality is composed of five parishes and is located in the district of Castelo Branco
.
The present mayor is Amândio Manuel Ferreira de Melo, elected by the Socialist Party
.
The municipal holiday is April 26.
Belmonte is also the birthplace of Pedro Álvares Cabral
, the navigator who discovered the land of Vera Cruz, now Brazil
. Located in the Church of Santa Maria are the iconic image statue of Nossa Senhora da Esperança (Our Lady of Hope), which accompanied Cabral in his voyage. The image was, until 1834, in the Monastery of Nossa Senhora da Esperança, now transformed in a modern charm hotel.
s (known as Belmonte Jews
) who officially returned to Judaism
in the 1970s, and opened a synagogue
in 1996. In 2003, the Belmonte Project was founded under the auspices of the American Sephardi Federation
, in order to raise funds to acquire Judaic educational material and services for the community (which now numbers 160-180). A Jewish Museum of Belmonte (Museu Judaico de Belmonte) opened on 17 April 2005. In the summer of 2006, the American Sephardi Federation ceased to have the Belmonte Project under its auspices.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. It has a total area of 118.8 km² and a total population of 7,662 inhabitants.
The municipality is composed of five parishes and is located in the district of Castelo Branco
Castelo Branco (district)
Castelo Branco District is located in Central Portugal, the district capital is Castelo Branco, which is now also the most populous city, although the city of Covilhã was once the largest city....
.
The present mayor is Amândio Manuel Ferreira de Melo, elected by the Socialist Party
Portuguese Socialist Party
The Portuguese Socialist Party was a political party in Portugal.The party was founded in 1875. During its initial phase the party was heavily influenced by Proudhonism, and rejected revolutionary Marxism. The party suffered constant factional struggles...
.
The municipal holiday is April 26.
Belmonte is also the birthplace of Pedro Álvares Cabral
Pedro Álvares Cabral
Pedro Álvares Cabral was a Portuguese noble, military commander, navigator and explorer regarded as the discoverer of Brazil. Cabral conducted the first substantial exploration of the northeast coast of South America and claimed it for Portugal. While details of Cabral's early life are sketchy, it...
, the navigator who discovered the land of Vera Cruz, now Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. Located in the Church of Santa Maria are the iconic image statue of Nossa Senhora da Esperança (Our Lady of Hope), which accompanied Cabral in his voyage. The image was, until 1834, in the Monastery of Nossa Senhora da Esperança, now transformed in a modern charm hotel.
Belmonte Jews
Belmonte is home to the last remaining community of marranoMarrano
Marranos were Jews living in the Iberian peninsula who converted to Christianity rather than be expelled but continued to observe rabbinic Judaism in secret...
s (known as Belmonte Jews
Belmonte Jews
The history of the Jews in Belmonte, Portugal, reaches back over six hundred years.-Belmonte marranos:The marranos that have been living in Belmonte are sometimes referred to as the "Belmonte Jews." They are a community that has survived in secrecy for hundreds of years by maintaining a tradition...
) who officially returned to Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
in the 1970s, and opened a synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
in 1996. In 2003, the Belmonte Project was founded under the auspices of the American Sephardi Federation
American Sephardi Federation
The American Sephardi Federation, a member of the Center for Jewish History, is a non-profit Jewish organization that strengthens and organizes the religious and cultural activities of Sephardic Jews, preserves Sephardic heritage, tradition and culture in the United States and assists in the...
, in order to raise funds to acquire Judaic educational material and services for the community (which now numbers 160-180). A Jewish Museum of Belmonte (Museu Judaico de Belmonte) opened on 17 April 2005. In the summer of 2006, the American Sephardi Federation ceased to have the Belmonte Project under its auspices.