Marmelete

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Marmelete is a comune ( freguesia ) in southern Portugal. The municipality has 783 inhabitants (as at 30 June 2011) and belongs to the district Monchique.

Geography

Marmelete is located in the mountainous Serra de Monchique, and is about 17 km from the eastern district town of Monchique and about 15 km west nearby Aljezur.

Legend

The origin of Marmelete is not clear and not known exactly. They say the following legend: There was once a crew consisting of a captain and four sailors who sailed across the sea. One night the ship capsized because of a storm. With great effort all managed to escape along the coast of Lagos, also eight goats and a few parts of the ship they could salvage.

After they had saved, they rose to the mountains to find a suitable shelter. The course, which at that time appeared to them to be most useful, is known today under the name Marmelete. They stayed there a long time and fed on goat's milk and fish. Every morning rose a few down the mountain to the sea to catch fish there, while the other took care of the animals. From the remains of the ship they built temporary shelters.

Eventually, the men learned women from the area and married. Only the captain could not put up with the monotonous life on land itself. Meanwhile, the original shelter had become a village of proper accommodation and with a large amount of livestock. One day the captain went to the port of Lagos and met by chance an old, known to him captain. This he told of its location, so that gave him his place as captain.

Since he could not take his men, he said goodbye to them with the following words:

"My friends, I leave you and do not know if I return. But in my soul I'll keep this place and baptize him " Mar e Leite " (Sea and milk). Both elements that helped us to survive many years. the sea, where we caught fish and the milk of goats. " The men took and wrote these sentences on a stone.

Over time, the name was modified until it " Marmelete " developed its present form.