São Martinho do Porto

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São Martinho do Porto is a Portuguese city ( Vila ) in the district of Alcobaça and in the District of Leiria. It is located on a only a narrow gateway to the Atlantic Ocean opening toward the lagoon. She now claims to 5,000 permanent residents ( in the 2001 census: 2644 ) and an area of 14.9 km ². It borders to the north on the community of Famalicão in a circle Nazaré, in the east on the community Alfeizerão and on the south by the municipality Salir do Porto in the district of Caldas da Rainha. The town is located 14 km south of Nazare and about 100 km north of Lisbon.

History of the City

São Martinho do Porto is one of the thirteen historic towns of Couto de Alcobaça, the former territory of the abbey of Alcobaça. She received before 1303, probably in 1257 by the Abbot Martin Estevão the independent right of use has also determined the Saint Martin of Tours, the patron saint of where the town's name derives. As part of the general reform of the Couto at the beginning of the 16th century by King Manuel I. São Martinho do Porto once again received the charter along with a issued by the palace city statute against upheld the obligation to pay tribute to the city of Alcobaça Abbey. The also continuing jurisdiction of the abbey was, like, symbolically expressed through the establishment of a Schandpfahls in all cities and towns of the abbey.

After the closure of the abbey in 1834 as a result of government-mandated repeal of all monasteries São Martinho do Porto was first an independent circuit, came as a result of the administrative reform of 1855, but the district of Alcobaça. In 1866 her town rights but again. From the historic buildings nothing remains. Although the city leads the pillory, Portuguese Pelourinho, as a symbol, but he actually does not exist anymore. It was sold in a public auction in 1866 and has since disappeared

The lagoon

In the center of the economic development of São Martinho do Porto has always stood the lagoon. It opens only in a width of about 200 meters to open ocean, then extends to a depth of 900 meters and a width of 1400 meters into the country. There is only one narrow channel to get into it with the ship. Even into the 17th century presented the lagoon, at that time still under the name of Lagoa de Alfeizerão, in a length of about 3 km to the next also belonging to the abbey of Alcobaça city Alfeizerão and extended south about 10 km to before Caldas da Rainha. Shielded from the ocean by an approximately 100 meter high ridge they formed a large natural harbor, lay next to the São Martinho de Porto, in the south Salir do Porto and inland to the east Alfeizerão. All cities developed to shipping centers with their own yards.

The harbor was to the 17th century still navigable for ocean-going ships of their time. São Martinho do Porto was with Alfeizerão one of the three ports of the abbey of Alcobaça. In the yards of São Martinho do Porto ships for the Portuguese explorations and part of the fleet were built, with the King Sebastião I. (1554-1578) began his tragic ending expedition to Morocco, where he not from the battle of Alcácer - Quibir more recurred. At this time the town was considered as an important trade and shipping center.

Ruins

Also from this flower are today only a few ruins remain, most of which are on the southern side of the lagoon, in today's Salir do Porto. There you will find the ruins of the old Customs Office, the old castle of São Martinho do Porto and high above the sea gate to the old chapel of Santa Ana, all of which still await their immediate historical classification.

Tourism Development

São Martinho do Porto is beautifully unusually attractive, with the almost circular acting lagoon, the narrow breakthrough to the ocean, on the south side of a projected nature dunes and the beautiful mountain ranges. The situation had São Martinho do Porto made ​​in the 19th century to a very coveted summer resort. But a few objects are also of this typical for the 19th century beach building only left because they are often given way to modern high -storey buildings. From the time of early tourism is the heritage property Rua José de Avelar do Couto, 3 to 7, the work of Swiss - Portuguese architect Ernst Korrodi, built about 1917, to mention that is a typical example of early leisure architecture. In the last two decades, São Martinho has changed completely again his face and is now surrounded by urban marginal settlements, multiply the number of residents during the summer time. The city has also a year more than 40,000 visitors.