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Lisbon And Portugal - History And Culture
By Robert Carlton, Thu Dec 8th
Portugal has always been known as the land to the left of Spainon the Iberian Peninsula, caught among its traditional way oflife - fishing and agriculture. But thanks to the technology andthe integration, Portugalīs 91.985 km2, of which 88.944 km2correspond to the mainland territory and the rest to thebeautiful islands of the Azores and Madeira. The country isdivided into 11 regions, with 18 districts headed by a Governorand these districts each have their own Town hall and Mayor. Since Early Times At the beginning, Portugal was not differentiated from thenorthern part of Spain called Galicia because it was ahomogeneous cultural unit. The first boundary stone wasinitiated in the Neolithic period when the Castrena Culturebegan
with fortified huts in a circular pattern topped with coneshaped straw roofs. While in the fertile southern plains theTartarians, Greeks and Phoenicians started rich colonies, in therough and granate like north of Portugal, the Lusitanianspresented their resistance. The Roman conquest put an end tothis domain and for the first time in history, the Portugueseterritory was separated from the Galician. Braga was named thefirst capital of the Swabian kings who reigned in Portugal from408 to 585. Later the Visigods, who had been established inSpain expanded their land into Portugal. But as all the IberianPeninsula, the Arabs extended their powerful arm and in 711 alsoreach the south. But for unknown reasons, the Arabs leftPortugal, only leaving behind their culture andarchitecture. (Article continued below)
But Henry of Borgona, who was Earl of Portugal and thefather-in-law of King Alfonso VI of Castilla had his own plansfor Portugal and it was his son, Alfonso Henry, after a decisivebattle in Guimaraes was proclaimed King of Portugal in 1128.From here, his successors extended the territory up until in theXIII the Portuguese territory was completed. In 1415, King Joao I wanted to conquer more lands and started acampaign into the African territories. This impulse also sentPortuguese naval ships to occupy Madeira in 1418 and the Azoresin 1427. But they did not stop there, as we all know theyreached the Brazilian coast too. Leaving Portugal without any heirs, Philip II of Spain, who wasborn from the daughter of the king of Portugal, was proclaimedKing in 1580. But in 1640 with the Treaty of Lisbon, Spain gaveit its independence. Coming up to more modern times, Portugal joined the AtlanticTreaty in 1949 and the United Nations in 1955. After having gonethrough many types of political parties, Portugal nowadays is astable country open to the world. A Quick over view of Portugal Portugal has a seducing enchantment and anyone who surrenders toit will never regret it. The best way to see Portugal is to doit by car and very slowly. By car because it is the mostcomfortable way to stop and see all the spellbinding scenerythat this amazing place has to offer. It is known as the countrywith 101 castle and we would like to see quite a few. Slowly,because the road ways, not main highways, are very sinuous. Lisbon capital and heart of Portugal I would recommend starting out from Lisbon, the capital of Portugal and its surroundingtowns. Lisbon is a city which makes you feel that time has nevergone by, not only because of its architecture but thanks to thepeople themselves and for not being in a hurry. You can begin atthe center in the Plaza do Comercio, set right on the River Tajoand either head down towards the water and along the portpromenade or into the hub of the city to visit the numerouschurches, monuments and living history unfolding before youreyes. Once you have visited the city, I would head for the surroundingtowns only a few hours to the south in the region called ElAlgarve. There are incredible fishing towns and beautiful sandybeaches. Once you have relax for a day or two, it wouldinteresting to venture into the countryside and take directionsetting north to the Alentejo region. The main city in thisregion is called Evora. The oldest monument in the town datesback to the II or III c. and it is the temple of Diana - A realarchitectural beauty. There is a Pousada, reconverted castlesand palaces made into historical lodgings which are all over thePortuguese geography. Still heading north but towards theAtlantic we come across One of the most symbolic Catholic citiesin the world, Fatima. Whether you are a believer or not,everyone has a favor or burning desire to help someone withproblems and the profound religious ambience found here is veryspecial. An from the religious to the intellect when we feastour sight on the very old university city of Coimbra. Justvisiting the university grounds is a trip in itself. Still goingup the coast, we come to the River Duero and the city of Portoor sometimes called Oporto. This area together with the MinoRiver valley make up the fertile vineyards for the famous Oportowine. Other than enjoying the green vegetation which are thegreen grapes that make up this delicious wine, we can sip a fewsamples of the different varieties and see the process at somewine cellars. Portuguese Cuisine Lick your lips and dig in. Letīs see, I will try some Alentejanasoup which are morsel of bread with coriander herbs, garlic andpoached egg. Or maybe Cacao soup made from fresh fish. If it ischilly, I would like to try a typical meat dish called Pork a laAlentejana which is pork seasoned with wine, coriandro herb,onions and crushed almonds. Rabbit, hare or partridge with whitebeans can also warm your heart and stomach. Spread some creamysheep cheese on some toasted bread or some hard, cured cheesefrom Evora with a touch of olive oil. Cod fish done in a hundreddifferent ways, especially with tomatoes, onions, garlic andboiled potatoes which are all national products. To accompanyall this scrumptious food we need the right wine. And flakyalmond pasties to finish it all off. Let yourself be overwhelmed by Portugalīs picturesque details,shades of green, enticing bodies of water, tiled murals, whitewashed houses and the warm feeling that the Portuguese offer toall passerbyer. The result is a total success, living up to yourevery dream. About the author: Robert Carlton runs a marketing company and lives with hisspanish wife and daughter on the iberian peninsula. He writestravel related articles about Lisbon and Portugal. You can reach him via his website http://www.lisbon-and-portugal.com | Sign In |
