Ourém
Encyclopedia
Ourém is a municipality
in Portugal
with a total area of 416.6 km² and a total population of 49,269 inhabitants. The city itself has a population of about 12,000.
The municipality is composed of 18 parish
es, and is located in the district of Santarém
. The municipality is bordered by the municipalities of Pombal (to the north), Alvaiázere
(to the northeast), Ferreira do Zêzere and Tomar (to the east), Torres Novas (to the southeast), Alcanena (to the southwest), and Batalha
and Leiria
(to the west).
The municipality of Ourém has two cities : Ourém (about 12,000 residents) and Fátima (about 11,000 inhabitants).
The main historical attraction of the municipality is the mighty Castle of Ourém. Nevertheless, millions of faithful Catholics
come to the parish of Fátima
every year to visit the site where three child shepherds had visions of Our Lady of Fátima
in 1917.
The present Mayor is Paulo Fonseca, elected by the Socialist Party
.
The municipal holiday is June 20.
. The area was reconquered by Christians in 1136, and the town was donated in 1178 by the first king of Portugal, Afonso Henriques
, to his third daughter, Princess Theresa
. The princess granted it a letter of feudal rights (foral
) in 1180, to promote the settlement and development of the village.
Under the Muslim
s, the village was apparently called Abdegas, but during the times of the Reconquista
(12th century) it was called Portus de Auren, from which the name Ourém was later derived. According to popular myth, the name of the village is actually derived from a Moorish Princess who converted to Christianity under the name of Oureana.
The town's historical nucleus developed around the Castle of Ourém, which during the Reconquista served as watchpost for the Castle of Leiria
, an important stronghold located nearby. In the mid-14th century, King Peter I turned Ourém and its lands into a County
. The third Count of Ourém was the celebrated Nuno Álvares Pereira
, the knight who led the Portuguese army to victory against the Castilians
in the Battle of Aljubarrota
in 1385.
Under Count Afonso (1402–1460), fourth Count of Ourém, the town flourished. To accommodate his court, Count Afonso remodelled the old-fashioned castle and built a palace inside it following the trends in 15th-century Italian military architecture. The ruins of the palace and castle are the main historical and touristic attraction of the town nowadays. Count Afonso is buried in the crypt
of the main church of Ourém in a magnificent Gothic
tomb created by one of Portugal's main sculptors of the time, Diogo Pires-o-Velho.
After reaching its peak in the 15th century, the town entered a period of relative decadence. The town and castle were greatly damaged by the 1755 Lisbon earthquake
and the Napoleonic Invasions
.
Until its elevation to the status of a city on August 16, 1991, Ourém was known as Vila Nova de Ourém.
. The knight took Fatima to a small village of the recently-created Kingdom of Portugal, in the Serra de Aire hills. The princess fell in love with the Christian knight and decided to become herself a Christian, taking the name of Oureana. They got married and the princess received as prize the town which she called Ourém, after her name.
The name of the parish of Fátima
of Ourém is probably related to this legend.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in Portugal
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...
with a total area of 416.6 km² and a total population of 49,269 inhabitants. The city itself has a population of about 12,000.
The municipality is composed of 18 parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
es, and is located in the district of Santarém
Santarém (district)
The District of Santarém is located in Centro Region, Portugal, the district capital is the city of Santarém.It has an area of 6747 km² , and a population of 475,344 inhabitants.-Municipalities:...
. The municipality is bordered by the municipalities of Pombal (to the north), Alvaiázere
Alvaiázere
Alvaiázere is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 160.5 km² and a total population of 8,112 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of 7 parishes, and is located in the district of Leiria...
(to the northeast), Ferreira do Zêzere and Tomar (to the east), Torres Novas (to the southeast), Alcanena (to the southwest), and Batalha
Batalha Municipality, Portugal
Batalha Municipality is located in Leiria District, Pinhal Litoral Subregion, Centro Region, Portugal. The seat is Batalha, Portugal.-See also:* Batalha...
and Leiria
Leiria Municipality
Leiria Municipality is located in Leiria District in the Centro Region, Portugal. It contains the city of Leiria. It has nearly 120,000 inhabitants.-Demographics:According to the 2001 census, the population of the city is 50,200....
(to the west).
The municipality of Ourém has two cities : Ourém (about 12,000 residents) and Fátima (about 11,000 inhabitants).
The main historical attraction of the municipality is the mighty Castle of Ourém. Nevertheless, millions of faithful Catholics
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
come to the parish of Fátima
Fátima, Portugal
Fátima is a city in Portugal famous for the Marian apparitions, recognized by the Catholic Church, that took place there in 1917. The town itself has a population of 7,756 and is located in the municipality of Ourém, in the Centro Region and Médio Tejo Subregion...
every year to visit the site where three child shepherds had visions of Our Lady of Fátima
Our Lady of Fatima
Our Lady of Fátima is a famous title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary as she appeared in apparitions reported by three shepherd children at Fátima in Portugal. These occurred on the 13th day of six consecutive months in 1917, starting on May 13...
in 1917.
The present Mayor is Paulo Fonseca, elected by the Socialist Party
Socialist Party (Portugal)
The Socialist Party , abbreviated to PS, is a social-democratic political party in Portugal. It was founded on 19 April 1973 in the German city of Bad Münstereifel, by militants from Portuguese Socialist Action ....
.
The municipal holiday is June 20.
History
A fortification existed in the region of Ourém since at least the period of Muslim dominationUmayyad conquest of Hispania
The Umayyad conquest of Hispania is the initial Islamic Ummayad Caliphate's conquest, between 711 and 718, of the Christian Visigothic Kingdom of Hispania, centered in the Iberian Peninsula, which was known to them under the Arabic name al-Andalus....
. The area was reconquered by Christians in 1136, and the town was donated in 1178 by the first king of Portugal, Afonso Henriques
Afonso I of Portugal
Afonso I or Dom Afonso Henriques , more commonly known as Afonso Henriques , nicknamed "the Conqueror" , "the Founder" or "the Great" by the Portuguese, and El-Bortukali and Ibn-Arrik by the Moors whom he fought, was the first King of Portugal...
, to his third daughter, Princess Theresa
Infanta Teresa, Countess of Flanders
Infanta Theresa of Portugal was a Portuguese infanta , being the third daughter of Portuguese 1st King Afonso Henriques and Maud of Savoy. She was born c. 1157 and died in 1218 in Veurne, Flanders.Around 1183 she married Philip of Alsace, Count of Flanders, becoming Countess consort of Flanders...
. The princess granted it a letter of feudal rights (foral
Foral
thumb|left|200px|Foral of Castro Verde - PortugalThe word foral derives from the Portuguese word foro, ultimately from Latin forum, equivalent to Spanish fuero, Galician foro, Catalan furs and Basque foru ....
) in 1180, to promote the settlement and development of the village.
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s, the village was apparently called Abdegas, but during the times of the Reconquista
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
(12th century) it was called Portus de Auren, from which the name Ourém was later derived. According to popular myth, the name of the village is actually derived from a Moorish Princess who converted to Christianity under the name of Oureana.
The town's historical nucleus developed around the Castle of Ourém, which during the Reconquista served as watchpost for the Castle of Leiria
Leiria
Leiria is a city in Leiria Municipality in the Centro Region, Portugal. It is the capital of Leiria District. The city proper has 50,200 inhabitants and the entire municipality has nearly 120,000...
, an important stronghold located nearby. In the mid-14th century, King Peter I turned Ourém and its lands into a County
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
. The third Count of Ourém was the celebrated Nuno Álvares Pereira
Nuno Álvares Pereira
Dom Nuno Álvares Pereira, O. Carm. , also spelled Nun'Álvares Pereira, was a Portuguese general of great success who had a decisive role in the 1383-1385 Crisis that assured Portugal's independence from Castile...
, the knight who led the Portuguese army to victory against the Castilians
Kingdom of Castile
Kingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. It emerged as a political autonomous entity in the 9th century. It was called County of Castile and was held in vassalage from the Kingdom of León. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region...
in the Battle of Aljubarrota
Battle of Aljubarrota
The Battle of Aljubarrota was a battle fought between the Kingdom of Portugal and the Crown of Castile on 14 August 1385. Forces commanded by King John I of Portugal and his general Nuno Álvares Pereira, with the support of English allies, opposed the army of King John I of Castile with its...
in 1385.
Under Count Afonso (1402–1460), fourth Count of Ourém, the town flourished. To accommodate his court, Count Afonso remodelled the old-fashioned castle and built a palace inside it following the trends in 15th-century Italian military architecture. The ruins of the palace and castle are the main historical and touristic attraction of the town nowadays. Count Afonso is buried in the crypt
Crypt
In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....
of the main church of Ourém in a magnificent Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
tomb created by one of Portugal's main sculptors of the time, Diogo Pires-o-Velho.
After reaching its peak in the 15th century, the town entered a period of relative decadence. The town and castle were greatly damaged by the 1755 Lisbon earthquake
1755 Lisbon earthquake
The 1755 Lisbon earthquake, also known as the Great Lisbon Earthquake, was a megathrust earthquake that took place on Saturday 1 November 1755, at around 9:40 in the morning. The earthquake was followed by fires and a tsunami, which almost totally destroyed Lisbon in the Kingdom of Portugal, and...
and the Napoleonic Invasions
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
.
Until its elevation to the status of a city on August 16, 1991, Ourém was known as Vila Nova de Ourém.
Legend
The legend of the name of the village and Oureana is retold by Friar Bernardino de Brito in his Chronicle of the Order of Cister (1602): In a surprise attack on the St John's Day in 1158, a Christian knight, Gonçalo Hermigues and his companions kidnapped a Moorish princess with the famous Arab name of FatimaFatima (name)
Fatima is an Arabic female given name, commonly used among Muslims and is especially revered among Shias.The town of Fátima in Portugal was named after a Moorish princess...
. The knight took Fatima to a small village of the recently-created Kingdom of Portugal, in the Serra de Aire hills. The princess fell in love with the Christian knight and decided to become herself a Christian, taking the name of Oureana. They got married and the princess received as prize the town which she called Ourém, after her name.
The name of the parish of Fátima
Fátima, Portugal
Fátima is a city in Portugal famous for the Marian apparitions, recognized by the Catholic Church, that took place there in 1917. The town itself has a population of 7,756 and is located in the municipality of Ourém, in the Centro Region and Médio Tejo Subregion...
of Ourém is probably related to this legend.
Parishes
- Alburitel
- Atouguia
- Casal dos Bernardos
- CaxariasCaxariasCaxarias is a town in Portugal....
- Cercal
- Espite
- FátimaFátima, PortugalFátima is a city in Portugal famous for the Marian apparitions, recognized by the Catholic Church, that took place there in 1917. The town itself has a population of 7,756 and is located in the municipality of Ourém, in the Centro Region and Médio Tejo Subregion...
- Formigais
- FreixiandaFreixiandaFreixianda is a town in Ourém, Portugal....
- Gondemaria
- MatasMatasMatas may refer to:* Carol Matas , Canadian children's writer* David Matas , senior legal counsel of B'nai Brith Canada and human rights activist* Rudolph Matas , American surgeon...
- Nossa Senhora da Piedade (Ourém)
- Nossa Senhora das Misericórdias (or Nossa Senhora da Misericórdia, formerly Nossa Senhora da Visitação) (Ourém)
- OlivalOlival-Portugal:* Olival , a civil parish in the municipality of Ourem* Olival , a civil parish in the municipality of Vila Nova de GaiaOther variants:* Olival Basto , a civil parish in the municipality of Odivelas...
- Ribeira do Fárrio
- Rio de Couros
- Seiça
- Urqueira
Population
| Population of Ourém municipality (1801–2004) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1801 | 1849 | 1900 | 1930 | 1960 | 1981 | 1991 | 2001 | 2004 |
| 12,803 | 13,033 | 25,726 | 34,534 | 47,511 | 41,376 | 40,185 | 46,216 | 49,269 |