Lourinhã

Lourinhã
Municipality
Banner Coat airms
Location in Portugal
Coordinates: 39°14′N 9°18′W
Kintra	Portugal
Region	Centro
Subregion	Oeste
Destrict/A.R.	Lisbon
Govrenment
• Mayor	José Custódio (PS)
Area
• Total	147.2 km2 (56.8 sq mi)
Population
• Total	24,601
• Density	167/km2 (430/sq mi)
Pairishes (no.)	8
Municipal holiday	Saunt John June 24
Website	http://www.cm-lourinha.pt

Lourinhã (Portuguese pronunciation: [loɾiˈɲɐ̃]) is a municipality in the Destrict o Lisbon, in subregion Oeste in Portugal wi a total aurie o 147.2 km² an a total population o 24,601 inhabitants. The seat o the municipality is the toun o Lourinhã, wi a population o 8,800 inhabitants.

History

The name Lourinhã possibly oreeginatit in the period o Roman domination, when a villa wis locatit in the aurie. The oreegin o the medieval veelage is linkit tae Jordan, a French knicht who teuk pairt in the successful Siege o Lisbon in 1147. Keeng Afonso Henriques grantit Jordan the region o Lourinhã as fief an alloued him tae grant a foral (letter o feudal richts) tae its settlers in 1160. The name Lourinhã mey be relatit tae the oreegin o its feudal laird, syne Jordan wis frae the Loire region in Fraunce.

Santo António Convent Kirk in Lourinhã.

The richts o Lourinhã wur confirmit bi letters o Keeng Sancho I in 1218 an again bi Afonso III in 1258. The pairish o Lourinhã became ane o the richest o the Lisbon Diocese, as reflectit by its main kirk, a fine example o 14t-hunderyear Portuguese Gothic airchitectur. The Gothic wirks o the main kirk wur sponsored bi Lourenço Vicente, a Lourinhã-born Airchbishop o Braga who receivit the veelage as a donation o Keeng John I in 1384.

In the 16t hunderyear, the Franciscan monastery o Santo António (1598) an a Misericórdia Kirk an Charity (1586) wur foondit in Lourinhã. The Misericórdia (Mercy), a releegious charity, nou hooses a museum wi ootstaundin Renaissance pentins. The maist important pentins are bi the haund o a mysterious early 16t-century penter, dubbit the Maister o Lourinhã (Mestre da Lourinhã).

Stairtin at the end o the 19t hunderyear, the infrastructur o the municipality wis modernisit wi roads, canalised watter an electric licht, as well as improvements in the eddicational seestem. The economy dependit maistly on agricultur an fishin. Tourism is a increasinly important source o revenue, due tae the municipality's extensive, picturesque beaches an, mair recently, bi the paleontological remains, which include fossilisit bones, fuitprints, eggs an even embryos frae Jurassic dinosaurs. Mony o which can be seen nouadays at the local museum, Museu da Lourinhã.

Lourinhã, is ane o the few brandy-makkin auries, besides Cognac, Armagnac an Jerez, that hae receivit appellation status.

Ceevil pairishes

Admeenistratively, the municipality is dividit intae 8 ceevil parishes (freguesias):

• Lourinhã e Atalaia
• Miragaia e Marteleira
• Moita dos Ferreiros
• Reguengo Grande
• Ribamar
• Santa Bárbara
• São Bartolomeu dos Galegos e Moledo
• Vimeiro

Population

Population o Lourinhã municipality (1801 – 2004)
1801	1849	1900	1930	1960	1981	1991	2001	2004
3366	6481	12154	17049	22927	21245	21596	23265	24601

Beaches

Lourinhã haes 12 km o coastline wi several popular beaches.

• Praia de Areal
• Praia da Areia Branca
• Praia do Caniçal
• Praia de Paimogo
• Praia de Vale Frades
• Praia de Porto das Barcas
• Praia da Peralta

Paleontology

The aurie o Lourinhã is kent bi the Late Jurassic fyndins o dinosaurs an ither fossils, an gie the name for Lourinhã Formation. The Museu da Lourinhã hauds the main dinosaur collection.

Freemit airtins

• Municipality offeecial wabsteid