São João da Madeira
Encyclopedia
São João da Madeira in English St. John's Wood, is a municipality in northwestern Portugal
. Its part of Porto Metropolitan Area, the second largest of Portugal. It has a land area of 8.11 km² (the smallest land area of any municipality in Portugal) and a total population of 21 685 inhabitants (2011). Its urban area has around 48 025 inhabitants.
The municipality is composed of only one parish (freguesia
), and it is limited at north, by the municipality of Santa Maria da Feira, and, at south, by the municipality of Oliveira de Azeméis
.
São João da Madeira's motto is "Labor - city of work", appealing to its industry tradition. Shoe manufacturing is one of the city's main forces, being known in Portugal
as the "Capital of Shoe". Many of the most emblematic shoe companies of Portugal
are based on São João da Madeira or its neighborhoods. The city produces 400.000 of the annually 2.000.000 world's top felt hats as well. The quality of São João da Madeira's hats is recognized worldwide, requested for major fashion companies like Hermès
and for cinematic industry. All the hats in Public Enemies
, Indiana Jones' hat in the 2008 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and the famous hat of the Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)
's character Mad Hatter, performed by Johnny Depp
.
Recently, the city has been distinguished in studies for its quality of life in Portugal
, having received, in 2010, the prize for the best municipality to live in Portugal.
The present Mayor is Manuel Castro Almeida, elected by the Social Democratic Party
.
in the initial XX century. Hat industry was the first to be established, at the time having inclusively the largest factory in Iberic Peninsula (nowadays a Hat Museum) but soon shoe industry become the main industrial activity as hat industry declined.
It became a municipality independent from neighboring Oliveira de Azeméis Municipality on 11 October 1926 (municipal holiday). At that time, the Portuguese government considered São João da Madeira one of the most important regional industrial sites with its progress suffocated by its inferior status. São João da Madeira became a city at 28 June 1984, by the law n.º 13/84.
, an important industrial activity in Portugal, having the seat of the Shoe Technological Centre. Beyond that, the city is developing a Science Park
, with the main building, Centro Empresarial e Tecnológico, already in use. São João da Madeira is also an important commercial, finantial and service centre of the region, having its largest Shopping Mall
and largest concentration of banks.
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...
. Its part of Porto Metropolitan Area, the second largest of Portugal. It has a land area of 8.11 km² (the smallest land area of any municipality in Portugal) and a total population of 21 685 inhabitants (2011). Its urban area has around 48 025 inhabitants.
The municipality is composed of only one parish (freguesia
Freguesia
Freguesia is the Portuguese term for a secondary local administrative unit in Portugal and some of its former colonies, and a former secondary local administrative unit in Macau, roughly equivalent to an administrative parish. A freguesia is a subdivision of a concelho, the Portuguese synonym term...
), and it is limited at north, by the municipality of Santa Maria da Feira, and, at south, by the municipality of Oliveira de Azeméis
Oliveira de Azeméis
Oliveira de Azeméis Municipality is located in Oporto Metropolitan Area in Portugal. It has a total area of 163.5 km² and a total population of about 70,000 inhabitants. The city itself has a population of more than 15,000. Oliveira de Azeméis is part of Oporto Metropolitan Area and it is located...
.
São João da Madeira's motto is "Labor - city of work", appealing to its industry tradition. Shoe manufacturing is one of the city's main forces, being known 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...
as the "Capital of Shoe". Many of the most emblematic shoe companies of 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...
are based on São João da Madeira or its neighborhoods. The city produces 400.000 of the annually 2.000.000 world's top felt hats as well. The quality of São João da Madeira's hats is recognized worldwide, requested for major fashion companies like Hermès
Hermès
Hermès International S.A., or simply Hermès is a French high fashion house established in 1837, today specializing in leather, lifestyle accessories, perfumery, luxury goods, and ready-to-wear...
and for cinematic industry. All the hats in Public Enemies
Public Enemies
Public Enemies is a 2009 American crime drama film directed by Michael Mann and written by Mann, Ronan Bennett and Ann Biderman. It is an adaptation of Bryan Burrough's non-fiction book Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933–34...
, Indiana Jones' hat in the 2008 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and the famous hat of the Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)
Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)
Alice in Wonderland is a 2010 American computer-animated/live action fantasy adventure film directed by Tim Burton, written by Linda Woolverton, and released by Walt Disney Pictures...
's character Mad Hatter, performed by Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp
John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol...
.
Recently, the city has been distinguished in studies for its quality of life 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...
, having received, in 2010, the prize for the best municipality to live in Portugal.
The present Mayor is Manuel Castro Almeida, elected by the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (Portugal)
The Social Democratic Party , is a centre-right liberal conservative political party in Portugal. It is commonly known by its initials, PSD; on ballot papers, its initials appear as PPD/PSD, with the first three letters coming from the party's original name, Democratic People's Party...
.
History
São João da Madeira was one of the epicenters of the late Portuguese Industrial RevolutionIndustrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
in the initial XX century. Hat industry was the first to be established, at the time having inclusively the largest factory in Iberic Peninsula (nowadays a Hat Museum) but soon shoe industry become the main industrial activity as hat industry declined.
It became a municipality independent from neighboring Oliveira de Azeméis Municipality on 11 October 1926 (municipal holiday). At that time, the Portuguese government considered São João da Madeira one of the most important regional industrial sites with its progress suffocated by its inferior status. São João da Madeira became a city at 28 June 1984, by the law n.º 13/84.
Demographics
| Population of São João da Madeira (1527 – 2001) | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1527 | 1687 | 1798 | 1864 | 1900 | 1910 | 1920 | 1930 | 1940 | 1950 | 1960 | 1970 | 1981 | 1991 | 2001 | 2011 |
| 200 | 605 | 1 296 | 2 221 | 3 115 | 3 954 | 4 407 | 5 481 | 7 424 | 9 266 | 11 921 | 14 105 | 16 444 | 18 483 | 21 102 | 21 685 |
Economy
In 2007, there were 3660 companies in São João da Madeira. Despite being the smallest municipality in size in Portugal, it is the twentieth in economic turnover. It is the head of shoe industry in PortugalPortugal
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...
, an important industrial activity in Portugal, having the seat of the Shoe Technological Centre. Beyond that, the city is developing a Science Park
Science park
A research park, science park, or science and technology park is an area with a collection of buildings dedicated to scientific research on a business footing. There are many approximate synonyms for "science park", including research park, technology park, technopolis and biomedical park...
, with the main building, Centro Empresarial e Tecnológico, already in use. São João da Madeira is also an important commercial, finantial and service centre of the region, having its largest Shopping Mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
and largest concentration of banks.