Belém | |
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_(cropped).jpg) .jpg) _(cropped).jpg) _(cropped).jpg) _Lissabon%2c_Bel%25C3%25A9m_Schlo%25C3%259F.jpg) Clockwise:Jerónimos Monastery; thePadrão dos Descobrimentos;Belém National Palace; Belém Docks;Belém Tower. | |
 Coat of arms | |
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| Coordinates:38°41′56″N9°12′32″W / 38.699°N 9.209°W /38.699; -9.209 | |
| Country |  Portugal |
| Region | Lisbon |
| Metropolitan area | Lisbon |
| District | Lisbon |
| Municipality | Lisbon |
| Area | |
• Total | 10.43 km2 (4.03 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 16,528 |
| • Density | 1,585/km2 (4,104/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+00:00 (WET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+01:00 (WEST) |
| Postal code | 1400 |
| Area code | 213 |
| Patron | Santa Maria de Belém |
| Website | http://jf-belem.pt |
Belém (locally[bɨˈlɐ̃j]) is afreguesia (civil parish) and district ofLisbon, the capital ofPortugal. Belém is located in western Lisbon, to the west ofAjuda andAlcântara and directly east of Lisbon's border withOeiras. Belém is famous as a museum district, as the home of many of the most notable monuments of Lisbon and Portugal alike, such as theBelém Tower, theJerónimos Monastery, thePadrão dos Descobrimentos, andBelém Palace (official residence of thePresident of Portugal). The population in 2011 was 16,528.[1]
Archaeological evidence discovered along the margins of the Tagus indicates that human occupation in the area of Belém dates to thePaleolithic era.[2][3]
With the establishment of theKingdom of Portugal byAfonso III, royal surveys, orinquirições gerais (general inquiries), were made at his command to inspect titles of lands claimed by the nobility and clergy,[4] determined that the population around Lisbon was dispersed throughout the lowlands, which were suitable for agriculture. Consequently, Belém was connected to the neighbouring city by a bridge atAlcântara. Belém's proximity to the River Tagus also encouraged the development of commercial activities in the small village ofAldeia do Restelo, which attracted mariners and other seafarers seeking safe anchorage and protection from the winds when they entered the river. In the 14th century,Moors settled on and cultivated the surrounding lands, providing the city with produce; other Moors, both free and enslaved, worked in the fishing industry. Meanwhile, settlement in Restelo grew slowly towards Lisbon.
It was "to give religious and spiritual support" to the villagers thatHenry the Navigator, as governor in the military-religiousOrder of Christ, initiated construction near the fishing port of a small church dedicated toSaint Mary.[5] Henry also ordered the construction of a fountain and water trough in 1460 to provide drinking water for the people and their animals. The foundation of the church and theJerónimos Monastery byManuel I around 1459 on the site of the older church[6] resulted in its transfer from the Order of Christ to the Hieronymite monks, and at the same time in its being renamed Santa Maria de Belém.[7] The existing structure was started on the orders ofManuel I (1469–1521) at the courts ofMontemor-o-Velho in 1495, as a final resting-place for members of theHouse of Aviz, in his belief that an Iberian dynastic kingdom would rule after his death.[7] In 1496, King Manuel petitioned theHoly See for permission to construct a monastery at the entrance of the Tagus. It was after the arrival ofVasco da Gama a year later with samples of gold he had discovered that the monastery became a symbol of Portuguese expansionism. The church became a house of prayer for seamen leaving or entering the port.[8][9]
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With the restoration of Portuguese independence in 1640, the monastery regained much of its former importance, becoming the burial place for the royal pantheon; within its walls four of the eight children ofKing John IV were entombed: theInfante Teodósio (1634–1653), theInfanta Joana (1636–1653),King Afonso VI (1643–1683) andCatherine of Braganza (1638–1705). On 29 September 1855, the body of King Afonso VI was transported to the royal pantheon of theHouse of Braganza in theMonastery of São Vicente de Fora, along with his three brothers and sister. During the reign ofPeter II, in 1682, the bodies of KingSebastian andCardinal Henrique were buried in the transept chapels.
The same monarch ordered construction of "a tower of four storeys" (in the words ofDamião de Góis) on a basaltic outcropping of rocks in the Tagus near its north bank, using some of the stones being collected to build theJerónimos Monastery. This was the foundation of the bastion of theBelém Tower (Torre de Belém). After completion of these two construction projects, a number ofmanors in the surrounding countryside were established by the nobility. As the population continued to slowly grow, the demographics of the suburb changed sufficiently thatFriar Nicolau de Oliveira indicated in 1620 that it was within the city limits. New convents appeared in the area, and between 1551 and 1591 (as noted by Vieira da Silva) the civil parish ofAjuda (Nossa Senhora da Ajuda) was created, consisting of a vast territory with clerics installed in the Monastery of Belém.
The Belém district became increasingly popular after KingJohn V acquired estates and properties in the area to develop defenses for Lisbon.Carvalho da Costa noted in hisCorografia Portuguesa that "...immediately in front ofJunqueira [pt] is the locality of Belém, so healthy and appreciable that the naturals and visitors want to live there, and those who for want of comfort can not live [there] are continually competing for that site. In it there are houses, noble estates, nobility, nobles of the first order in the Kingdom; and if the land permitted more palaces or buildings, the city would continue unto that site".
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In 1770, during the reign ofJoseph I, the ecclesiastical parish ofSão Pedro de Alcântara, including the territory east of the Alcântra River, was established, thus deannexing it from Ajuda. The barrio of Belém was officially constituted with its own judicial and administrative authority, and included the ecclesiastical parish of Ajuda, part of Alcântra and Santa Isabel, as well as the parishes of Benfica, Belas, Barcarena and Carnaxide.
Belém and Ajuda were the areas around Lisbon suffering the least destruction in thegreat Lisbon earthquake and the followingtsunami on 1 November 1755. Many of the survivors who lost their homes were installed in numerous tents and shacks in the region. King Joseph and his court moved to a complex of tents and barracks located on a part of the royal estates where theAjuda National Palace would be built. This relocation by the King and his prime minister and Secretary of State, theMarquess of Pombal, attracted commerce and made Belém-Ajuda the centre of the state bureaucracy during the third quarter of the 18th century. A military presence was also deemed important by the government: two regimental infantry barracks under the Count of Lippe, and a cavalry regiment under Mecklenburg were installed. These events consolidated the integration of Belém-Ajuda into the city of Lisbon.
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During the latter part of the 18th century, the monarchy slowly extricated itself from Belém-Ajuda. In 1794, a fire in Ajuda destroyed the Royal Tent (Tenda Real), forcing the royal family to abandon the location and take residence in theQueluz National Palace. A lack of funds had delayed completion of theAjuda National Palace, so with theFrench invasion in 1807, theroyal family fled toRio de Janeiro. When they returned to Portugal in 1821, KingJohn VI installed them in theNecessidades andBemposta Palaces.
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Belém gradually evolved into an industrial zone, particularly around Pedrouços and Bom Sucesso, attracting factories of various kinds such astanneries, metal stampers, glassmakers, earthenware manufacturers, textile makers, woollenware producers and arope-making factory for shipping.
On 28 December 1833, the civil parish of Santa Maria de Belém, including the parish of Ajuda, was institutionalised with its seat in the Jerónimos Monastery. Rapid industrialization began in this period and continued throughout the 19th century; an 1881 inquiry established that 25 factories produced goods in the Alcântara-Belém region, employing 1,215 men, 812 women and 432 minors. The growth attracted many new residents and subsidised housing was constructed to support the manufacturing industry.
Belém subsequently had more autonomy: a separate municipality of Belém actually existed between 11 September 1852 and 18 June 1885, presided over by its first president, the historianAlexandre Herculano. The municipality included the parishes of Nossa Senhora da Ajuda, Santa Maria de Belém, part of São Pedro de Alcântara, Santa Isabel and São Sebastião da Pedreira, as well as Nossa Senhora do Amparo de Benfica, São Lourenço de Carnide and Menino Jesus de Odivelas. The royal family of KingLouis of Portugal and QueenMaria Pia of Savoy began to reside in the Ajuda National Palace.
Belém was also the location for the development of many urban projects, such as the construction of a landfill, opening of many docks or the opening of a rail link toCascais, which initially departed fromPedrouços. Socially, the first recreational and cultural organizations were established, and the area was a place for leisure activities.
On transitioning into the 20th century, Belém had grown considerably, with the establishment of electrical services within the area and significantly with the1940 Portuguese exhibition. The 1940 Expo resulted in the demolition of the older nucleus of Belém, the Praça do Império. and the beginning of a phase of monumental constructions which, along with pre-existing historic architecture (such as theJerónimos Monastery,Belém Tower, andBelém Palace) began to occupy the waterfront. This included the iconicPadrão dos Descobrimentos and the modernCentro Cultural de Belém which helped to promote tourist and cultural exploration of the north margin of the Tagus.
Until 2012, the area of Belém had its own historic parish, namedSanta Maria de Belém. In 2012, the Administrative Reform ofLisbon resulted in the merging of the latter and the parish ofSão Francisco Xavier, thus creating the new parish of Belém.[10]
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The southwestern limit of the city of Lisbon, Belém is delimited by theTagus estuary to the south, the margins of the Algés river and the IC17-CRIL highway, to the west, until the northern limit of the A5 highway). In addition, the Alcântara river and the former eastern limits of the parish of São Francisco Xavier, until theEstrada de Queluz (Road of Queluz) reaches the A5 highway.
It is bordered by the parishes ofAlcântara in the east,Ajuda in the northeast, andBenfica in the north; and to the west by the municipality ofOeiras (Algés).
In addition to the historical buildings and avenues, Belém is the location of theJardim do Ultramar (English:Overseas Garden), several blocks of green-spaces that includes the gardens of thePraça do Império (English:Imperial Garden), theJardim Vasco da Gama (English:Vasco da Gama Garden),Afonso de Albuquerque Square andJardim Agricola Tropical (English:Tropical Garden Museum). These gardens cover a large portion of the waterfront area, encircling the buildings of theRua de Belém, and backs onto the gardens of thePalace of Belém. Also located in Belém is the extreme southwest section of theMonsanto Forest Park.
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Belém is recognized for its concentration of national monuments and public spaces, including a mixture of historical buildings and modern symbols of Portuguese culture. This juxtaposition of famous icons developed from Belém's important military position along the mouth of the Tagus; its role in the exploration in India and the Far East (theCaminho das Índias); and 17th–18th century construction of royal residences and noble estates in the parish following the destruction stemming from the 1755 earthquake and tsunami.
Belém's main street and historical avenue isRua de Belém, a strip of 160-year-old buildings that have survived several years of change and modernization. This includes the famous pastry shopFábrica de Pasteis de Belém known for a specific Portuguese confectionery:pastel de Belém (pl.:pastéis de Belém), anegg tart made with flaky pastry.
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In the heart of Belém is thePraça do Império, an avenue of open-spaces and gardens, with a central fountain, which was laid-out duringWorld War II. To the west of the gardens lies theCentro Cultural de Belém, built in 1992 during Portugal's term in the revolving role at the helm of the European Union presidency. It is now an arts complex, containing Belém'sMuseu Colecção Berardo. To the southeast of the gardens is theBelém Palace (1770), the official residence of the Portuguese President. Five hundred metres to the east of Praça do Império lies Belém's other major squarePraça Afonso de Albuquerque.
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Belém is home to a number of other museums:Museu da Electricidade (Electricity Museum),Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology,Museu do Centro Científico e Cultural de Macau (Macau Cultural Museum),Museu de Arte Popular (Folk Art Museum),Museu Nacional dos Coches (Coach Museum), andMuseu da Presidência da República (Presidential Museum).
Belenenses, a renownedsports club from Lisbon is based in Belém, commonly known as the "fourth big team", because up until 1982 was one of the four Portuguese teams (the others areBenfica,Sporting andPorto) that never were never relegated to the second league. In its history Belenenses won the Portuguese Championship once and the Portuguese Cup for three times.
A aldeia do Restelo, erguida posteriormente à criação do surgidouro, devia situar-se acima da igreja que o infante mandou construir e do mosteiro de Belém
Freguesias (Civil Parishes) ofLisbon | ||
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