VILA FRANCA DE XIRA

Traces of the local past: Heritage

The town of Vila Franca de Xira, where we live, is located 29 km from Lisbon, which is the capital of our country. It lies on the northern limit of the Lisbon metropolitan area on the right bank of the river Tagus. The city and county are crossed by major transport routes such as railways (Northern Line), motorway (A1) and roads (national road Nº10, Nº3 and Nº1).

Our Town

Vila Franca de Xira is crossed by the Tagus River, which divides it into two very distinct areas:

• A zone consists of vast plains (the Lezírias) with a population close to zero and dominated by farming and livestock raising.

• Another area where the principal industries and major urban centers.

The Lezírias - Natural HeritageIn Lezírias there is a landscape that is unique, where beauty of the mirror of water of the Tagus river reflects the blue of the sky, where the horse, the bull, the heron and stork coexist peacefully.

Since Roman times the horses were considered the fastest in the world. Strabo, an ancient historian, said that even ... they were children of the wind.

Sights and Hiking Circuits• Walking Tours:

Riverside Pedestrian Path – Alhandra/Vila Franca de Xira

In addition to the cityscapes and countryside, in the hill or plain, there is now a new way to explore... a way that puts us alongside the river Tagus. Walking or cycling, jogging or picnics, or simply relax and enjoy the scenery. It is goes for three miles, from Casa Museu Dr. Sousa Martins, Alhandra, to the vicinity of the old rice mill plant, in Vila Franca de Xira.

Rural routes - walk or bike

With excellent conditions to practice outdoor activities like hiking, mountain biking, orienteering, canoeing, among others, the parishes of Vila Franca de Xira as Waterfalls, and S. Calhandriz S. Joao dos Montes offer rural routes and, in some ways, more connected to nature. Visiting these areas of predominantly agricultural landscape is natural to find farms, churches and chapels, ruins and architectural heritage as a whole and tells the story of the Municipality, in a quiet environment, away from the city noise.

Convent Santo António (Loja Nova) Farmstead Bulhaco (Trancoso)

• Viewpoints:

Viewpoint of Monte Gordo

Viewpoint of Bela Vista

Statuary and Tiles

Vila Franca today displays several statues with reference to its regional and cultural identity:

• Statuary:

Monument to Campino, the sculptors : Domingos Soares Branco e António trindade

Monument to bullfighter, made by the sculptor Rui Fernandes:

Statue of Varina, made by the sculptor Rui Fernandes:

Monument to Alves Redol, made by the sculptor Lagoa Henriques:

Monument to Pitchfork (newer), made by the sculptor Franco Sousa:

Tiles: CP Train Station, Market Hall and House Galache

• Tiles :

Every corner, every square of pottery is a Vila Franca to find out!

Fado, and Bullfighting Festival• In our land, the music is very much linked with bullfighting. We like traditional Fado music

and folklore (fandango).

The main celebrations of our city are: The Colete Encarnado, held at the weekend, first weekend of July and Feira de Outubro e Salão de Artesanato, which is celebrated at the beginning of October. At these we can see the running of the bulls through the streets and bullfightings on the Palha Blanco arena.

Fado of Vila Franca de Xira Fandango

Work performed by students from 3rd Year Class E-BP:

School E.B.1 n.º 4 of Vila Franca de XiraJanuary 2011

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