Alcácer do Sal | |
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 Alcácer do Sal, along theSado River, showing theReconquista Moorish Castle | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
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| Coordinates:38°22′21″N8°30′49″W / 38.37250°N 8.51361°W /38.37250; -8.51361 | |
| Country |  Portugal |
| Region | Alentejo |
| Intermunic. comm. | Alentejo Litoral |
| District | Setúbal |
| Parishes | 4 |
| Government | |
| • President | Vitor Manuel Chaves Caro Proença (CDU) |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,499.87 km2 (579.10 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 49 m (161 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 13,046 |
| • Density | 8.7/km2 (23/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+00:00 (WET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+01:00 (WEST) |
| Postal code | 7580 |
| Area code | 265 |
| Patron | São João Baptiste |
| Website | www |
Alcácer do Sal (European Portuguese pronunciation:[alˈkasɛɾðuˈsal]ⓘ) is a municipality in Portugal, located inSetúbal District. The population in 2011 was 13,046,[1] in an area of 1,499.87 km2.[2]
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There has been human settlement in the area for more than 40,000 years; archaeological investigations have placed human presence here back to theMesolithic Period, when the first peoples began to concentrate in the areas around Alcácer. This period was characterized by exploitation of the ecosystem in the Sado Estuary, when the river extended to São Romão, involving fishing, scavenging for shellfish, hunting and foraging in the local forests. The primitive tools, made fromchert, were adapted from the techniques of the latePaleolithic era. By the late Mesolithic period, people had concentrated in the area of Comporta andTorrão, later establishing primitive defensive protection to support their communities.
These principal settlements were abandoned by theCopper Age, but repopulated during theIron Age, as was the case of Alcácer. Mediterranean trade, pioneered by thePhoenicians, introduced commercial colonies in Abul and Alcácer (then referred to asBevipo orKeition), where a written alphabet and currency allowed commerce to flourish.
After theThird Punic War, with the fall ofCarthage, Alcácer was annexed to theRoman Empire (around 1st-2nd century B.C.). The municipality of present Alcácer became known asUrbs Imperatoria Salacia in honor of the sea godNeptune's wife, nymphSalacia, for its importance in the Iberiansalt trade and the number ofroutes that crossed the area.[3] In the third century the port of Salacia fell into disuse thanks to the emergence ofOlisipo (Lisbon).
With the rise ofGaul, most ofHispania became a vassal state of the larger empire. Returning to the Imperial fold with the 296AD reorganization of Roman territories byDiocletian (in order to subvert theMilitary Anarchy that existed at the time), Salatia's role was transformed. Circa 300? it was the seat of a Diocese of Salácia (Portuguese) / Salacien(sis) (Latin) / Salarien(sis) (Latin), which was however suppressed around 350.[4]
In the following centuries, Salatia became a poor distant colony of the much larger centers ofSetúbal orLisbon. The only exception was Torrão, which continued to prosper. Until 711, when the region was annexed by theUmayyad Caliphate ofDamascus, the population of the hilltop areas of Salatia left in favor of the low lands along the river.
TheUmmayad rule on theIberian Peninsula, in the reign of Abu-l-Khattar (743-745) over the region of Beja, which included Alcácer, was noted for the recruitment of troops, and for the rising power of Yemeni clans in southern Portugal. The entire region was later administered by Egyptian Arab troops, that selected Beja as their regional seat. Until 844, Alcácer functioned as center for the collection of taxes in the lower Sado valley: collected primarily from the Christians who chose to remain in the valley. The first Viking raids in this year forced a political reorganization, and Alcácer became an important outpost ofAl-Andalus.
After an internal victory overMuwallad rebels in 888, the city was offered as reward to theBanu Dānis clan, and itskeep was renamedQaşr Abī Dānis (قصر أبي دانس ; English:Castle Abu Denis),[5] commonly known simply asAl Qaşr (English:The Castle). The village of Al Qaşr was the base for a large fleet and arsenal that was used during the Christian-MoorishReconquista.[6] In 997 a Moorish fleet transported troops from Alcácer toPorto, to supportAl-Mansur Ibn Abi Aamir, that culminated in the destruction of the sanctuary ofSantiago de Compostela.[7] It was then capital of the Al Qaşr Province, which by the 12th Century was a center of merchant traffic, supported by the opulent tastes of Évora.Muhammad al-Idrisi noted that forestry, and in particular pine tree harvesting, was important during this period, as was cattle raising and major agricultural cultivation.[6] During theAlmoravid dynasty Al Qasr became the administrative regional seat of an area that extended along the Atlantic coast untilTrujillo,Cáceres.[7]
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Records of theNorwegian Crusade, held from 1107 to 1110, in the aftermath of theFirst Crusade, and led byNorwegian kingSigurd I, include a reference to the Norwegians winning a battle in the town of Alkasse (which is possibly a reference to Al Qaşr) - where they killed such a large number of people that the town was said to have been left empty, and looted many treasures.[8] However, the Norwegians then sailed on to theHoly Land and the town - with whatever inhabitants survived - remained Muslim.
During theFifth Crusade, whenAfonso II of Portugal had a truce with theAlmohads, Sueiro Bishops ofLisbon andÉvora joined theCistercianabbot ofAlcobaça, the commander ofPalmela, theTemplars, theHospitallers, andmagnates, in an attempt to persuade the crusaders to attack theMoors in Alcácer do Sal. The city of Alcácer had been lost since 1191 in the aftermath of the Third Crusade campaigns of Alvor and Silves. The keep in Alcácer was conquered for the first time by the Portuguese in 1160. In 1191, it returned toAmazigh hands under the direction ofYaqub al-Mansur, who transformed it into the military garrison ofGarb al-Andalus.[9] According toDe itinere Frisonum the FrisianCrusaders refused to help on account of Innocent III prohibition to Bishop Souiro, and departed for theHoly Land, even after being provided food, expenses, and rousing oratories about the Almohads' annual demands for 100 Christians in tribute.[10] Meanwhile, ships under the command ofWilliam I of Holland and Count George of Wied arrived in Alcácer do Sal on 2 August 1217. They were joined by the Portuguese sent to lay siege to the castle.[11] Muslim governors inSeville,Córdoba,Jaén andBadajoz attempted to relieve the garrison but their reinforcements were defeated on 11 September. The castle surrendered on 18 October 1217, with additional Christian troops provided by Pedro Alvítiz from Castile.[12][13]
Once the castle was taken, many of the northern Crusaders requestedPope Honorius III allow them to remain for a year"for the liberation of Hispania" and"the extirpation of the perfidious cult of the pagans".[9] The victory in Alcácer do Sal also motivatedAlfonso IX of León,Sancho VII of Navarre, in addition to Iberian prelates and nobles, to break their truces with the Muslim leaders, in hopes that the northern Crusaders would continue their campaigns the following summer. But, the Pope granted only absolution from their vows to those who could not continue to the Holy Land, and the Crusaders left theCastle to the Portuguese and continued on toAcre.[12]
The capture of Al Qaşr was the only permanent conquest of the Fifth Crusade.[14] In 1218, Alcacer do Sal received itsforal from KingAfonso II, and handed over to the Knights of Santiago, who made it their headquarters during their advance into theAlentejo andAlgarve.[12] The Order of Santiago dominated an area fromSesimbra until the Algarve, controlling the lower Sado, Alentejo Litoral and coast ofCape St. Vincent.[7] At the end of the 13th century, the Order advanced toMértola to support reconquest of the Algarve, but later retreated to Alcácer and remained there until 1482, when they returned toPalmela.[7]
Along with the Christians and the town's small population of Jews, the remaining Muslims in Alcácer do Sal begin to occupy the low country along the river, and vacate the Castle. The Muslims, under the "King's protection" remained in the community.[7]
In 1495,Manuel I was acclaimed King by the residents of the village.
By the 16th century, the whole Sado Basin, where Alcácer do Sal is located, had experienced an important African immigration as a way to compensate for the demographic deficit that accompanied the Portuguese overseas expansion. Later, in the 18th century, a new wave of slaves was imported to Alcácer do Sal to work the salt fields and cultivate rice, the two important economic activities in the region. A recent genetic study in 2010 found in Alcacer the highest frequencies (22%) ofSub-Saharan maternal lineages reported so far in Europe and, according to the authors, likely associated with the influx of African slaves between the 15th and 19th centuries.[15][16]
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A few kilometres from the city of Alcácer, along the course of the Sado, is theReserva Natural do Estuário do Sado (Sado Estuary Nature Reserve) which covers an area of 23.160 hectares (231,600 m2), comprising marshes, canals, streams and mangroves.
The municipality is bounded to the north by the municipalities ofPalmela,Vendas Novas andMontemor-o-Novo; northeast byViana do Alentejo; east byAlvito; south byFerreira do Alentejo andGrândola; to the west, also by Grândola, along a branch of the Sado Estuary; and northwest by theSetúbal.
Alcácer do Sal is a historical city and municipality that overlooks theSado River; its medieval town developed frombarrios that surrounded an ancient Muslim castle. Alcácer do Sal is the municipal seat, which includes two civil parishes, both having a population of 6002 residents.[17]
The second-largest municipality (Portuguese:concelho) in the country, it is administratively subdivided into four civil parishes (Portuguese:freguesias):[18]
A very interesting museum, documenting the occupation of the city since theIron Age, exists under the castle, now apousada hotel. Santa Susana includes many white-painted houses, and is the location of the municipalities principal dam, Pego do Altar, and tourist-friendly water activities and forests.
Alcácer do Sal has aMediterranean climate (Köppen:Csa) with hot dry summers and mild wet winters.
The highest recorded temperature in the city was 46.2 °C (115.2 °F) on 4 August 2018.[19]
| Climate data for Alcácer do Sal (1981–2010), extremes (1971-present) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 24.0 (75.2) | 27.0 (80.6) | 30.8 (87.4) | 36.3 (97.3) | 38.9 (102.0) | 44.0 (111.2) | 45.2 (113.4) | 46.2 (115.2) | 41.6 (106.9) | 37.0 (98.6) | 29.0 (84.2) | 24.5 (76.1) | 46.2 (115.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 15.6 (60.1) | 17.0 (62.6) | 20.2 (68.4) | 21.2 (70.2) | 24.2 (75.6) | 28.6 (83.5) | 31.4 (88.5) | 31.5 (88.7) | 29.0 (84.2) | 24.2 (75.6) | 19.3 (66.7) | 16.2 (61.2) | 23.2 (73.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 9.7 (49.5) | 11.1 (52.0) | 13.7 (56.7) | 15.0 (59.0) | 17.7 (63.9) | 21.4 (70.5) | 23.5 (74.3) | 23.7 (74.7) | 21.7 (71.1) | 17.9 (64.2) | 13.6 (56.5) | 10.9 (51.6) | 16.7 (62.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 3.8 (38.8) | 5.1 (41.2) | 7.2 (45.0) | 8.8 (47.8) | 11.2 (52.2) | 14.2 (57.6) | 15.6 (60.1) | 15.8 (60.4) | 14.3 (57.7) | 11.6 (52.9) | 7.8 (46.0) | 5.6 (42.1) | 10.1 (50.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −6.1 (21.0) | −5.3 (22.5) | −3.6 (25.5) | −1.0 (30.2) | 3.5 (38.3) | 6.4 (43.5) | 9.9 (49.8) | 9.5 (49.1) | 6.3 (43.3) | −0.5 (31.1) | −2.5 (27.5) | −4.9 (23.2) | −6.1 (21.0) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 69.8 (2.75) | 53.8 (2.12) | 42.1 (1.66) | 57.5 (2.26) | 40.9 (1.61) | 12.7 (0.50) | 2.4 (0.09) | 4.7 (0.19) | 25.2 (0.99) | 75.6 (2.98) | 80.1 (3.15) | 88.1 (3.47) | 552.9 (21.77) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1 mm) | 12.2 | 9.7 | 7.9 | 10.2 | 7.7 | 2.4 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 4.5 | 11.4 | 12.5 | 14.1 | 94.3 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%)(at 9:00UTC) | 90 | 88 | 83 | 78 | 73 | 71 | 69 | 70 | 77 | 84 | 88 | 90 | 80 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 138.6 | 141.9 | 194.7 | 206.5 | 275.2 | 292.6 | 329.5 | 323.2 | 238.3 | 190.6 | 157.4 | 127.2 | 2,615.7 |
| Source:Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera(Average sunshine hours only recorded for 14 years: 1971-76,1978,1980-82,1988-91. Humidity 1971-200)[20] | |||||||||||||
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