TAVIRA

Tavira... 500 years a City

She may be looking a tad lonely on this special day, but rest assured, the residents of Tavira will make up for the missed celebrations.

Tavira is sometimes referred to as the Venice of the Algarve and one of the true gems of the Eastern Algarve. Straddling the River Gilão, its charm and predominantly low-rise architecture set it aside from most other resorts in the area. Tavira boats a seven-arched Roman Bridge and has fine Renaissance architecture, numerous churches, tree-lined squares and for sure, a certain romantic flair. Here in Tavira there are also fine examples of medieval houses complete with Gothic windows and magnificent doorways and it is also a lively trading town with a vibrant fruit and vegetable market. On March the 16th, the town celebrated the 500th year since it was designated a ‘city’ by the Portuguese Kingdom. It was on March 16, 1520, King D. Manuel I elevated

the “ancient village of Tavira” to a city, by emitting a letter which listed all the rights, privileges and duties a city had in the Kingdom of Portugal. Tavira’s origins date back to the Late Bronze Age (1000-800 BC) and in the 8th century before Christ, it became one of the first Phoenician settlements in the Iberian West. The Phoenicians created a colonial urban centre with walls, two temples, two harbours and a stable urban structure. It is thought its original name was Baal Saphon, named after the Phoenician god of Thunder and Sea. and this name later became Balsa, used by Romans in the area. The Roman settlement of Balsa was just down the road, near Santa Luzia (3km west). and Tavira (then called Tabira) was an important link in the route between Castro Marim and Faro.

In the 8th century, the Moors occupied Tavira. They built the castle, probably on the site of a Roman fortress, and two mosques and In 1242 Dom Paio Peres Correia reconquered the town. As the port closest to the Moroccan coast, Tavira became important during the Age of Discoveries, serving as a base for Portuguese expeditions to North Africa, supplying provisions (especially salt, wine and dried fish) as well as a hospital. Its maritime trade also expanded, with exports of salted fish, almonds, figs and wine to northern Europe. By 1520 it had become the Algarve’s most populated settlement and it was then that it was raised to the rank of city. It was the Moorish occupation of Tavira, between the 8th and 13th centuries and the Islamic occupation that left its mark on

agriculture, architecture and customs of the Algarve. That influence can still be seen abundantly in Tavira today with its whitewashed buildings, Arabic style doors and of course rooftops. Tavira’s castle, two mosques and palaces were built by the Islamic people and the famous seven-arched “Bridge”, thought to be Roman, was actually built in the 12th century by the Islamic people. Today the beautiful city of Tavira is appreciated by thousands of International tourists from around the globe destined to see the calm waters of the Gilão and the wonderful sunset skies above the city, Featuring 37 churches and many 18th century buildings, Tavira is now known for being a charming laid back city, mixing local life and one which values its heritage and

welcomes everyone. Decline began in the early 17th century when the North African campaign was abandoned and the Rio Gilão became so silted up that large boats couldn’t enter the port. Things got worse when the plague struck in 1645, followed by the 1755 earthquake. After briefly producing carpets in the late 18th century, Tavira found a more stable income in its tuna fishing and canning industry, this too declined in the 1950s when the tuna shoals moved elsewhere. Today, tourists gravitate towards the city to dine in it’s many fine and reasonably priced restaurants and cafes and relax in beautiful surroundings welcomed by the Portuguese and international residents. The Portuguese expansion of the 15th and 16th centuries has made Tavira a prosperous

urban centre in the Algarve, benefiting the city with strategic importance for support, defence and maintenance. Its richness is attested by the large number of military, civil and religious buildings that arose during this period, especially the Renaissance works of the architect André Pilarte, and with its natural beauty, sitting at the foot of the Ria Formosa, protected natural park, it is sure to continue to attract global visitors in the future. This years celebrations were cancelled due to the worldwide pandemic but as a community Tavira and the entire region and country has joined to enforce measures to protect the population of 2020. We all look forward to new beginnings in the future and sharing our beloved city in all its glory.