Avis Municipality

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Template: Infobox city in Portugal / maintenance / management location is empty Template: Infobox city in Portugal / Maintenance / Web page is blank Avis is a small town ( Vila ) with 1844 ( June 30, 2011), and a circle ( concelho ) with 4576 inhabitants (as at 30 June 2011) in Portugal. The place is known for the Order of Knights of Avis and the second Portuguese royal dynasty, the house of Avis. In addition, it is a known stronghold of the Communist Party of Portugal.

History

Neolithic tombs ( Portuguese: Antas ) and other finds indicate a prehistoric settlement of the area. About the origins of the present-day village little concrete is known. According to a widespread but unoccupied theory, two knights of the later Aviso Rdens, Fernando Rodrigues Monteiro and an unknown, searched here on behalf of the King II D.Afonso a suitable place for the establishment of a place. Not far from Vaiamonte they saw a suitable hill. As also ascended an eagle from a nest of trees standing there, they interpreted this as a good sign. The current name is intended to refer to the Latin word for bird Avis, said to have been chosen in the absence of other local reference points as a place name. Free Bernardo de Brito supports this thesis in his Cistercian Chronicles (Portuguese Crónica de cittern, fifth book ).

King D.Afonso II gave the area 1211 Fernão Anes, Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of Avis, on the condition that the place be settled and secure. After fulfillment of the conditions moved in 1223, the Order of Évora here and have since then the place name in its name. That same year, Avis received its first city charter.

The illegitimate son of King D.Pedro I., João (German: Johann ), was thanks to the efforts of his father, Grand Master of the Aviso Rdens. When Portugal was threatened in 1383 to fall by succession to Castile, João at the head of the flared Revolution of 1383rd It came to war with Castile, the 1385 in Battle of Aljubarrota from outnumbered Portuguese army under João and the talented Nuno Álvares Pereira was decisively defeated. João was as D.João I. King of Portugal and the founder of the second dynasty of the country, the house Avis.

King Manuel I renewed the town charter of the town in 1512 as part of its administrative reforms.

The circle Avis is considered the " kommunistischste " across the country. After the fall of the Estado Novo regime with the Carnation Revolution in 1974, there were profound changes in the country, and is in particular in the Alentejo region, in Avis. As a consequence, has won here every election since 1976, the Communist PCP.

Culture and sights

Among the monuments of the place include a number of historic public and private buildings, stone fountains, gardens, the medieval Castelo de Avis, and a number of religious buildings, including the monastery Mosteiro de São Bento de Avis. In parts of the original Gothic, pointing to alterations Renaissance and Baroque features monastery Mosteiro de São Bento de Avis today, among other things the city museum (Museu Municipal), the municipal archives ( Arquivo Municipal) and the Public Library ( Biblioteca Municipal) housed. Also, art exhibitions and shows traditional arts and crafts of the region are held here.

The pillory ( Portuguese: Pelourinho ) from the 16th century shows at its top an eagle, as part of the incorporation theory of the place.

The old town also stands as a unit under monument protection.

During construction work in the city center was found in 2004 near the main church and the square Largo Dr. Sérgio de Castro human bones, suggesting an ancient or prehistoric cemetery. An archaeological site was set up here.

Avis is located next to the reservoir Barragem do Maranhão, which offers a variety of water sports and swimming opportunities. With the Complexo do Clube Náutico there is a complex of inter alia Camping, swimming, horseback riding, mountain biking, hiking trails, tennis courts and other sports facilities. In particular, the variety of water sports are done here, by rowing across windsurfing to kitesurfing. Portuguese and international athletes are more common here in training camp guests, including various Scandinavian rowing Olympic teams and the London Rowing Center.

Management

Circle

Avis is the administrative seat of the homonymous district. The neighboring districts are ( clockwise beginning in the north): Alter do Chão, fronteira, Sousel, Mora, and Ponte de Sôr.

The following municipalities ( Freguesias ) lying in circle Avis:

• Alcôrrego
• Aldeia Velha
• Advice
• Benavila
• Ervedal
• Figueira e Barros
• Maranhão
• Valongo

Demographics

Local holiday

• Easter Monday

Sons and daughters of the town

• Estêvão Cacella (1585-1630), Jesuit missionary in the Himalayas, the first European in Bhutan
• João Rosado Correia (1939-2002), architect, university professor, Freemasons and politicians, in 1983 the government ministers Soares
• Alexandre Alves ( b. 1947 ), communist entrepreneurs, including Co-founder of the air conditioning manufacturer FNAC
• Emygdio Mendes († 1958), lawyer and politician, Chief Financial Officer of the railway company Comboios de Portugal