Odivelas Municipality
Encyclopedia
Odivelas is a municipality located in the district of Lisbon in central Portugal
, within the periphery of the city of Lisbon. Its total area is approximately 26.4 km², and encompasses a population of 143,995 inhabitants. The municipal seat lies within the urbanized core of the city of Odivelas
, in the Quinta da Memória.
. In the legend, King Denis had a habit of travelling at night to the area of Odivelas, in order to liaison with women. On one of these nights, the Queen (Elizabeth of Aragon
) waited for her wandering husband, and confronted him with the nightly trips, asking him:
The phrase was, therefore, corrupted into Odivelas, or "where the King went to see them [the ladies]". Another interpretation stems from the component words: "odi" and "velas". The first, of Arab
origin, means water course, while the second, from the Latin
reference for the sails of a windmill. Both a river and vestiges of ancient windmills can be identified in the central part of the community.
The dolmen
in Pedras Grandes and Batalhas (in the parish of Caneças
), the castro
of Amoreira (in the parish of Ramada
), vestiges of Roman settlements in Póvoa de Santo Adrião, Arab implements in the sub-soils of Paiã
(in the parish of Pontinha
), indicate that the territory of Odivelas have been occupied continuously over the centuries, owing to its fertile land and temperate climate.
In the main square of Odivelas on 1415, Philippa of Lancaster
blessed her three sons (Edward, Peter and Henry) when they departed on horseback for Restelo, where they would begin their overseas voyage to take the city-state of Ceuta
.
It was in the Monastery of São Dinis that was first presented in 1534 Auto da Cananeia, by the author Gil Vicente
, which was commissioned by Mother-Superior Violente, sister of Pedro Álvares Cabral
. The lands around Pontinha
become a fertile center during this century, as more and more farmers and nobility migrated into this region (along with Póvoa de Santo Adrião and Caneças
). Some property-owners, such as the painter Vieira Lusitano, were part of an influx of cultural residents into Odivelas. In Póvoa de Santo Adrião, the painter Pedro Alexandrino, would later contribute to the works in the Sé Cathedral
in Lisbon, the Queluz National Palace
and the Coach Museum in Belém
.
The theft from the main Church of Odivelas (on 11 May 1671) was the origin to the monument dedicated to the Senhor Roubado (Robbed Man), and which would give rise to the first political strip, that would criticize the activities of the Inquisition. This was a period when missionaries returning from Asia and Africa would visit the Convent of Rilhafoles, in Paiã (Pontinha
). Another controversy arose in 1723, when the sisters
in the Monastery were agast by the assumption that a Brazil
ian nun could be Jewish, and had infiltrated their order (assuming to save herself from persecution by the Inquisition). They went so far as to present the case to the Cardinal-Inquisitor, and upon that failure, to the King (who refused to arbitrate). The nuns were eventually summarily carted-off by soldiers and returned to the monastery. Ironically, much later, Mother Paula de Odivelas (real name Paula Teresa da Silva e Almeida), whom King John V (30 years her senior) had a passionate affair, would join the sisters. There relationship would last until the death of the monarch, although the King would provide a generous monthly stipend after his death.
In 1731, John V decreed the beginning of the construction of the Águas Livres Aqueduct
, that began in the Fonte das Águas Livres near Carenque and ended in reservoir in Amoreira (completed in 1834). The Amoreira reservoir , albeit a beautiful space, has a capacity for 5500000 litres (1,452,946.2 US gal) which were transported through subterranean tunnels to the numerous fountains in Lisbon. The aqueduct was never totally efficient, and because its waters were impure and in low quantities. Much later, in 1833, the Quinta da Pentieira was constructed in the parish of Pontinha, as a cemetery for those victims of cholera
. Until the 19th century, Lisbon was a city infected by epidemics with poor quality sources of water. Many of the richer citizens paid men (many from Caneças) to deliver to their homes potable water. Water from Caneças was of a good quality, and its fountains provided a quantity of water that was transported by carriage or barrel to residents of Lisbon, in addition to laundry services and horticultural products.
After the religious orders were extinguished, Odivelas began to occupy an important social role, sought after for its open-spaces and natural environments; many of Lisbon's elites built small country estates, or in the beginning of the 20th century, summer homes. The parishes of Odivelas and Pontinha were part of the municipality of Belém, during the era of the writer Alexandre Herculano
. Later, they were integrated into the municipality of Olivais (in 1885). In 1886, the municipality of Loures was established, which included many of the other parishes of Odivelas.
In 1915, the civil parish of Caneças was official constituted. Development in this area began to move away from agriculture, and more and more homes were built. The connection to Lisbon, and the construction of roadways, resulted in the purchase of lands in the region.
In Pontinha, the command post of the Movimento das Forças Armadas (Armed Forces Movement) was responsible for assisting the establishment of a democratic Portugal on 25 April 1974 (Carnation Revolution
).
Regional intensification, caused by the subdivision of land, greatly affected the local landscape. Twenty-five years after the Carnation Revolution, 85 clandestine barrios developed. Simultaneously, the explosion of civil construction projects (due to a lack of affordable homes in Lisbon) occurred in all the parishes of the municipality (except in Famões), which translated into an increase in the resident population. The political organs developed to support these changes, resulting in the creation of the civil parishes of Pontinha in 1984 and Olival Basto, Ramada and Famões in 1989. Póvoa de Santo Adrião became a town in 1986, Odivelas was elevated to the status of city in 1990, Pontinha to town in 1991 along with Olival Basto in 1997. In this same year, in order to defend local plan for development, a group of citizens establish the Movimento Odivelas a Concelho (Odivelan Movement for Municipal Status). On 19 November 1998, with a unanimous vote of members of the National Assembly, the creation of the Municipality of Odivelas was approved, with its seat in the city of Odivelas
. On 20 January 1999, the Comissão Instaladora do Município de Odivelas was empowered by the Ministro do Equipamento, Planeamento e Administração do Território (Minister of Equipment, Planning and Administreation of the Territory) João Cravinho with its new transitional administrative duties. Three years later, the commission ceased to function, and after municipal elections in December 2001, the first Municipal government for Odivelas was sworn in.
province), the municipality of Odivelas is in the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon
, bordering the municipalities of Loures, Sintra
, Amadora and Lisbon
.
The region is situated on an extensive plain that extends from Pontinha until Póvoa de Santo Adrião, running through Odivelas and Olival Basto. The rest of the territory is formed by semi-rugged hilltops and valleys, dotted with pine forests and some small agricultural lands (some grazing sheep). Caneças maintains agricultural character, through the cultivation in greenhouses and fields, epescially flowers and ornamental plants.
Administratively, the municipality of Odivelas is divided into several civil parishes, that implement and provide services at the local level:
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...
, within the periphery of the city of Lisbon. Its total area is approximately 26.4 km², and encompasses a population of 143,995 inhabitants. The municipal seat lies within the urbanized core of the city of Odivelas
Odivelas
Odivelas is a civil parish in Odivelas Municipality in Lisbon Metropolitan Area, Portugal.. The city has a population of 50,846. The municipality is composed of 7 parishes, and is located in the District of Lisbon....
, in the Quinta da Memória.
History
The origin of the name Odivelas is caught up in a peculiar legend that developed from the reign of King DenisDenis of Portugal
Dinis , called the Farmer King , was the sixth King of Portugal and the Algarve. The eldest son of Afonso III of Portugal by his second wife, Beatrice of Castile and grandson of king Alfonso X of Castile , Dinis succeeded his father in 1279.-Biography:As heir to the throne, Infante Dinis was...
. In the legend, King Denis had a habit of travelling at night to the area of Odivelas, in order to liaison with women. On one of these nights, the Queen (Elizabeth of Aragon
Elizabeth of Aragon
Elizabeth of Aragon, also known as Saint Elizabeth of Portugal, T.O.S.F. , was queen consort of Portugal, a tertiary of the Franciscan Order and is venerated as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church.-Biography:Elizabeth was a descendant of one of the most powerful families in Europe:...
) waited for her wandering husband, and confronted him with the nightly trips, asking him:
- "Ide vê-las senhor...?" (Going to see them sir?)
The phrase was, therefore, corrupted into Odivelas, or "where the King went to see them [the ladies]". Another interpretation stems from the component words: "odi" and "velas". The first, of Arab
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
origin, means water course, while the second, from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
reference for the sails of a windmill. Both a river and vestiges of ancient windmills can be identified in the central part of the community.
The dolmen
Dolmen
A dolmen—also known as a portal tomb, portal grave, dolmain , cromlech , anta , Hünengrab/Hünenbett , Adamra , Ispun , Hunebed , dös , goindol or quoit—is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of...
in Pedras Grandes and Batalhas (in the parish of Caneças
Caneças
Caneças is a Portuguese civil parish in the municipality of Odivelas, a suburb of the Greater Lisbon region....
), the castro
Castro culture
Castro culture is the archaeological term for naming the Celtic archaeological culture of the northwestern regions of the Iberian Peninsula from the end of the Bronze Age until it was subsumed in local Roman culture...
of Amoreira (in the parish of Ramada
Ramada (Odivelas)
Ramada is a parish in the municipality of Odivelas in Portugal. It covers an area of 3.86 km² and had a population of 15,770 as of 2001....
), vestiges of Roman settlements in Póvoa de Santo Adrião, Arab implements in the sub-soils of Paiã
Paia
Paia may refer to:*PAiA Electronics, a synthesizer kit company*Paia, Hawaii*Paia, a type of embutido*Promotion of access to information act...
(in the parish of Pontinha
Pontinha (Odivelas)
Pontinha, with an area of 4.64 km2, is a civil parish in the municiaplity of Odivelas, on the periphery of the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon, District of Lisbon, within the NUTS III Region of Lisboa e Vale do Tejo.-History:...
), indicate that the territory of Odivelas have been occupied continuously over the centuries, owing to its fertile land and temperate climate.
In the main square of Odivelas on 1415, Philippa of Lancaster
Philippa of Lancaster
Philippa of Lancaster, LG was a Queen consort of Portugal. Born into the royal family of England, her marriage with King John I secured the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance and produced several famous children who became known as the "Illustrious Generation" in Portugal...
blessed her three sons (Edward, Peter and Henry) when they departed on horseback for Restelo, where they would begin their overseas voyage to take the city-state of Ceuta
Ceuta
Ceuta is an autonomous city of Spain and an exclave located on the north coast of North Africa surrounded by Morocco. Separated from the Iberian peninsula by the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta lies on the border of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta along with the other Spanish...
.
It was in the Monastery of São Dinis that was first presented in 1534 Auto da Cananeia, by the author Gil Vicente
Gil Vicente
Gil Vicente , called the Trobadour, was a Portuguese playwright and poet who acted in and directed his own plays. Considered the chief dramatist of Portugal he is sometimes called the "Portuguese Plautus,"[3] often referred to as the "Father of Portuguese drama" and as one of Western literature's...
, which was commissioned by Mother-Superior Violente, sister 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 lands around Pontinha
Pontinha (Odivelas)
Pontinha, with an area of 4.64 km2, is a civil parish in the municiaplity of Odivelas, on the periphery of the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon, District of Lisbon, within the NUTS III Region of Lisboa e Vale do Tejo.-History:...
become a fertile center during this century, as more and more farmers and nobility migrated into this region (along with Póvoa de Santo Adrião and Caneças
Caneças
Caneças is a Portuguese civil parish in the municipality of Odivelas, a suburb of the Greater Lisbon region....
). Some property-owners, such as the painter Vieira Lusitano, were part of an influx of cultural residents into Odivelas. In Póvoa de Santo Adrião, the painter Pedro Alexandrino, would later contribute to the works in the Sé Cathedral
Se Cathedral
The Se Cathedral in Old Goa, India, is the largest church in India, dedicated to Catherine of Alexandria. It is the cathedral of the Latin Rite Catholic Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, and the seat of the Patriarch of the East Indies...
in Lisbon, the Queluz National Palace
Queluz National Palace
The Queluz National Palace is a Portuguese 18th-century palace located at Queluz, a freguesia of the modern-day Sintra Municipality, in the Lisbon District. One of the last great Rococo buildings to be designed in Europe, the palace was conceived as a summer retreat for Dom Pedro of Braganza,...
and the Coach Museum in Belém
Belém
Belém is a Brazilian city, the capital and largest city of state of Pará, in the country's north region. It is the entrance gate to the Amazon with a busy port, airport and bus/coach station...
.
The theft from the main Church of Odivelas (on 11 May 1671) was the origin to the monument dedicated to the Senhor Roubado (Robbed Man), and which would give rise to the first political strip, that would criticize the activities of the Inquisition. This was a period when missionaries returning from Asia and Africa would visit the Convent of Rilhafoles, in Paiã (Pontinha
Pontinha (Odivelas)
Pontinha, with an area of 4.64 km2, is a civil parish in the municiaplity of Odivelas, on the periphery of the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon, District of Lisbon, within the NUTS III Region of Lisboa e Vale do Tejo.-History:...
). Another controversy arose in 1723, when the sisters
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
in the Monastery were agast by the assumption that a 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...
ian nun could be Jewish, and had infiltrated their order (assuming to save herself from persecution by the Inquisition). They went so far as to present the case to the Cardinal-Inquisitor, and upon that failure, to the King (who refused to arbitrate). The nuns were eventually summarily carted-off by soldiers and returned to the monastery. Ironically, much later, Mother Paula de Odivelas (real name Paula Teresa da Silva e Almeida), whom King John V (30 years her senior) had a passionate affair, would join the sisters. There relationship would last until the death of the monarch, although the King would provide a generous monthly stipend after his death.
In 1731, John V decreed the beginning of the construction of the Águas Livres Aqueduct
Águas Livres Aqueduct
The Águas Livres Aqueduct is a historic aqueduct in the city of Lisbon, Portugal. It is one of the most remarkable examples of 18th-century Portuguese engineering...
, that began in the Fonte das Águas Livres near Carenque and ended in reservoir in Amoreira (completed in 1834). The Amoreira reservoir , albeit a beautiful space, has a capacity for 5500000 litres (1,452,946.2 US gal) which were transported through subterranean tunnels to the numerous fountains in Lisbon. The aqueduct was never totally efficient, and because its waters were impure and in low quantities. Much later, in 1833, the Quinta da Pentieira was constructed in the parish of Pontinha, as a cemetery for those victims of cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
. Until the 19th century, Lisbon was a city infected by epidemics with poor quality sources of water. Many of the richer citizens paid men (many from Caneças) to deliver to their homes potable water. Water from Caneças was of a good quality, and its fountains provided a quantity of water that was transported by carriage or barrel to residents of Lisbon, in addition to laundry services and horticultural products.
After the religious orders were extinguished, Odivelas began to occupy an important social role, sought after for its open-spaces and natural environments; many of Lisbon's elites built small country estates, or in the beginning of the 20th century, summer homes. The parishes of Odivelas and Pontinha were part of the municipality of Belém, during the era of the writer Alexandre Herculano
Alexandre Herculano
Alexandre Herculano de Carvalho e Araújo , was a Portuguese novelist and historian.-Early life:...
. Later, they were integrated into the municipality of Olivais (in 1885). In 1886, the municipality of Loures was established, which included many of the other parishes of Odivelas.
In 1915, the civil parish of Caneças was official constituted. Development in this area began to move away from agriculture, and more and more homes were built. The connection to Lisbon, and the construction of roadways, resulted in the purchase of lands in the region.
In Pontinha, the command post of the Movimento das Forças Armadas (Armed Forces Movement) was responsible for assisting the establishment of a democratic Portugal on 25 April 1974 (Carnation Revolution
Carnation Revolution
The Carnation Revolution , also referred to as the 25 de Abril , was a military coup started on 25 April 1974, in Lisbon, Portugal, coupled with an unanticipated and extensive campaign of civil resistance...
).
Regional intensification, caused by the subdivision of land, greatly affected the local landscape. Twenty-five years after the Carnation Revolution, 85 clandestine barrios developed. Simultaneously, the explosion of civil construction projects (due to a lack of affordable homes in Lisbon) occurred in all the parishes of the municipality (except in Famões), which translated into an increase in the resident population. The political organs developed to support these changes, resulting in the creation of the civil parishes of Pontinha in 1984 and Olival Basto, Ramada and Famões in 1989. Póvoa de Santo Adrião became a town in 1986, Odivelas was elevated to the status of city in 1990, Pontinha to town in 1991 along with Olival Basto in 1997. In this same year, in order to defend local plan for development, a group of citizens establish the Movimento Odivelas a Concelho (Odivelan Movement for Municipal Status). On 19 November 1998, with a unanimous vote of members of the National Assembly, the creation of the Municipality of Odivelas was approved, with its seat in the city of Odivelas
Odivelas
Odivelas is a civil parish in Odivelas Municipality in Lisbon Metropolitan Area, Portugal.. The city has a population of 50,846. The municipality is composed of 7 parishes, and is located in the District of Lisbon....
. On 20 January 1999, the Comissão Instaladora do Município de Odivelas was empowered by the Ministro do Equipamento, Planeamento e Administração do Território (Minister of Equipment, Planning and Administreation of the Territory) João Cravinho with its new transitional administrative duties. Three years later, the commission ceased to function, and after municipal elections in December 2001, the first Municipal government for Odivelas was sworn in.
Geography
Situated in the old district of Lisbon (historical EstremaduraEstremadura
Estremadura may refer to:* Estremadura Province * Estremadura Province * Lisboa VR, a Portuguese wine region called Estremadura until 2009...
province), the municipality of Odivelas is in the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon
Lisbon Metropolitan Area
Lisbon Metropolitan Area is a territorial zone that includes 18 municipalities in Portugal. The smaller Grande Lisboa area is a subregion of the NUTS II Lisbon Region by its own right....
, bordering the municipalities of Loures, Sintra
Sintra Municipality
Sintra , located in the central Lisbon Region, is a municipality consisting of several civil parishes and two urbanized cities and known for many of its 19th century Romantic architecture, which resulted in its classification as a UNESCO World Heritage Site...
, Amadora and Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
.
The region is situated on an extensive plain that extends from Pontinha until Póvoa de Santo Adrião, running through Odivelas and Olival Basto. The rest of the territory is formed by semi-rugged hilltops and valleys, dotted with pine forests and some small agricultural lands (some grazing sheep). Caneças maintains agricultural character, through the cultivation in greenhouses and fields, epescially flowers and ornamental plants.
Administratively, the municipality of Odivelas is divided into several civil parishes, that implement and provide services at the local level:
- CaneçasCaneçasCaneças is a Portuguese civil parish in the municipality of Odivelas, a suburb of the Greater Lisbon region....
- FamõesFamõesFamões is a town in Portugal....
- Odivelas
- Olival Basto
- PontinhaPontinha (Odivelas)Pontinha, with an area of 4.64 km2, is a civil parish in the municiaplity of Odivelas, on the periphery of the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon, District of Lisbon, within the NUTS III Region of Lisboa e Vale do Tejo.-History:...
- known more for its role in the Carnation RevolutionCarnation RevolutionThe Carnation Revolution , also referred to as the 25 de Abril , was a military coup started on 25 April 1974, in Lisbon, Portugal, coupled with an unanticipated and extensive campaign of civil resistance...
, Pontinha, nonetheless, was considered the lungs of Lisbon during early settlement, owing to the large number of homes built by the early nobility, that took advantage of the clean environment and open land. Its population of approximately 24000 inhabitants, has developed into an extension of the Lisbon periphery, a bedroom community of its much larger neighbour to the south; - Póvoa de Santo Adrião
- RamadaRamada (Odivelas)Ramada is a parish in the municipality of Odivelas in Portugal. It covers an area of 3.86 km² and had a population of 15,770 as of 2001....