Faro, Portugal
Faro | |
---|---|
Clockwise from top: aerial view of Faro; Faro Cathedral; city gates; Castelo de Faro; historic center; and Estói Palace | |
UTC±00:00 (WET) | |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+01:00 (WEST) |
Postal code | 8000 |
Local holiday | 7 September |
Website | Official website |
Faro (/ˈfɑːroʊ/ FAR-oh, Portuguese: [ˈfaɾu] ⓘ) is a municipality, the southernmost city and capital of the district of the same name, in the Algarve region of southern Portugal.[2] With an estimated population of 60,995 inhabitants in 2019[1] (with 39,733 inhabitants in the city proper,[3] making it the biggest city and second most populous municipality in the Algarve (after Loulé) and one of the biggest in Southern Portugal), the municipality covers an area of about 202.57 km2 (78.21 sq mi).[4]
History
Historical affiliations
Roman Empire 206 a.C.–411
Alans 411–560
Byzantine Empire 560–624
Visigothic Kingdom 624-711
Umayyad Caliphate 711-756
Emirate of Córdoba 756-929
Caliphate of Córdoba 929-1018
Taifa of Santa Maria do Algarve 1018-1051
Taifa of Seville 1051-1091
Almoravid dynasty 1091-1145
Taifa of Badajoz 1145-1155
Almohad Caliphate 1155-1249
Kingdom of Portugal 1249-1580
Iberian Union 1580-1640
Kingdom of Portugal 1640-1910
Portugal 1910-present
The
Between the second and eighth centuries, the city was under the domain of the Romans, then the Byzantines, and later Visigoths, before being conquered by the Arabic-speaking Muslims known as Moors in 713.[5] From the third century onwards and during the Visigothic period, it was the site of an Episcopal see,[5] the Ancient Diocese of Ossonoba (306-688). The Byzantine presence has endured in the city walls' towers that were built during the Byzantine period.
With the advent of Moorish rule in the eighth century, Ossonoba retained its status as the most important town in the southwest corner of the Iberian Peninsula.[5] In the 9th century, after a revolt[6] led by Yahia Ben Bakr who was succeeded in office by his son, Bakr Ben Yahia, it became the capital of a short-lived princedom and was fortified with a ring of defensive walls.[5] At this time, in the 10th century, the name Santa Maria began to be used instead of Ossonoba. By the 11th century, the town was known as Santa Maria Ibn Harun.[5]
During the Second Crusade soon after the Anglo-Norman forces took Lisbon in 1147 a detachment of this group sacked Faro, which was still by then under Muslim rule, on their way to the Holy Land. Again in 1217, during the Fifth Crusade, a Frisian fleet of crusaders on their way to Acre, sacked and burned the city.[7]
During the 500 years of Moorish rule, some Jewish residents of Faro made written copies of the
Portuguese Kingdom
After Portuguese independence in 1143, Afonso Henriques and his successors began an expansion and Christian repopulation into the southern Iberian territory which had previously been occupied by the Moors.[5] Following the conquest by D. Afonso III, in 1249, the Portuguese referred to the town as Santa Maria de Faaron or Santa Maria de Faaram.[5] In the following years, the town became prosperous, due to its secure port and exploitation of salt. Consequently, by the beginning of the Portuguese Age of Discovery, the town was well positioned to become a leading commercial centre.[5]
In the 14th century, the
Manuel I promoted the development and expansion of the city; 1499 had the construction of a hospital, the Church of Espírito Santo (or Church of the Misericórdia), a customshouse, and a slaughterhouse, all near the shoreline.[5]
By 1540,
In 1597, the city was sacked by English privateers led by
Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the city was expanded, with a series of walls during the period of the Restoration Wars (1640-1668), encompassing the semicircular front to the Ria Formosa.[5]
The western city of Lagos had become the capital of the historical province of Algarve in 1577, but this all changed with the 1755 Lisbon earthquake.[5] It affected many settlements across the Algarve, including Faro, which suffered damage to churches, convents (specifically the Convent of São Francisco and Convent of Santa Clara), and the episcopal palace, in addition to the walls, castle towers and bulwarks, barracks, guardhouses, warehouses, customshouses, and prison.[5]
Much of the greater devastation across the coastal and lowland regions was caused by a tsunami, which dismantled fortresses and razed homes. Almost all the coastal towns and villages of the Algarve were heavily damaged by the tsunami, except Faro, protected by the sandy banks of the Ria Formosa lagoon.[5] With the capital Lagos devastated, Faro became the administrative seat of the region the following year, 1756.[5]
Geography
The municipality of Faro is divided into two distinct areas, the coastline, part of the Parque Natural da Ria Formosa (Nature Park of Ria Formosa) and the barrocal, characterized by hills and valleys, populated with typical Algarvan vegetation.[8]
The nature park was created by Decree-Law 373/87, on 8 December 1987, and is considered one of the seven natural wonders of Portugal, with a beach that is around 7 km (4 mi) from the downtown.
Annually, many species of aquatic migratory birds transient northern Europe and nest there during the winter.[8] These include flamingos, terns, pied avocets, Eurasion wigeons, and common chaffinches.[8]
Within the town are gardens and open spaces, among which are the Manuel Bivar Garden, Alameda João de Deus Garden, and the Mata do Liceu.[8]
The variety of species and natural conditions result in the region being a popular ecotourism zone, promoting birdwatching, boating trips into the delta, kayaking along the Ria Formosa, pedestrian trails, and biking tours, accompanied by nature guides.[8] The municipality is crossed by the southern Ecovia do Algarve, a bicycling circuit that connects the Algarve to the rest of Europe.[8]
Climate
Faro has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa), moderated by a transitioning Portugal-Canary current giving a certain resemblance to Southern California that is not heated in the summer by the Mediterranean Sea like Algarve. Given this region is highly susceptible to the difference of precipitation throughout the seasons of the year, in the future scarcity of water could appear in conjunction with the increase of temperature and less incidence of rains.
Summers are warm to hot and sunny with average daytime maximum temperatures of 27–35 °C (81–95 °F). Summer warmth can linger well into October. The weather in the winter is generally mild by European standards, managing around 6 hours of sunshine each day, with temperatures averaging around 8–16 °C (46–61 °F) in the coldest month. The city receives most of its rainfall over the winter; rain is scarce between June and September. The annual average temperature is around 17.5 to 18.5 °C, however it is becoming hotter and hotter, reaching as high as 19.3 °C (66.7 °F) in 2023, with average temperatures since 2010 or even since 1994 being around 18–19 °C (64–66 °F),[10][11] and the annual rainfall is around 500 millimetres (19.69 in), however in recent years, rainfall has diminished, even reaching as low as 178.6 mm in 2019,[12][11] with the average yearly rainfall from 2017 to 2021 being closer to 350mm. The average sea temperature is 16–17 °C (61–63 °F) in January rising to 22–24 °C (72–75 °F) in August and September. Higher sea water temperatures are reached if the weather patterns produce a significant outflow of warmer surface water out of the Mediterranean which bathe the coastal Algarve with much warmer water.[13][14][15] During the summer months, tropical nights are common and, on average, Faro has 37 tropical nights per year, which is the highest in Portugal.[16] Faro has the highest minimum temperature ever recorded in Portugal, which was 32 °C (90 °F) on 26 July 2004.[17]
With over 3000 hours of sunshine a year, Faro is often regarded as one of the sunniest cities in Europe, alongside near by Tavira.[18][19][20] July and August have the most sunshine, while December has the least.
Climate data for Faro (FAO), 1981-2010 normals, extremes 1981-present, sun hours 1971-1995 | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 21.9 (71.4) |
24.7 (76.5) |
28.9 (84.0) |
30.1 (86.2) |
33.6 (92.5) |
37.1 (98.8) |
44.3 (111.7) |
39.6 (103.3) |
37.4 (99.3) |
33.3 (91.9) |
28.6 (83.5) |
24.0 (75.2) |
44.3 (111.7) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 16.1 (61.0) |
16.9 (62.4) |
19.1 (66.4) |
20.4 (68.7) |
22.8 (73.0) |
26.4 (79.5) |
29.2 (84.6) |
28.8 (83.8) |
26.6 (79.9) |
23.2 (73.8) |
19.6 (67.3) |
17.0 (62.6) |
22.2 (72.0) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 12.0 (53.6) |
12.8 (55.0) |
14.8 (58.6) |
16.1 (61.0) |
18.4 (65.1) |
21.9 (71.4) |
24.2 (75.6) |
24.1 (75.4) |
22.3 (72.1) |
19.3 (66.7) |
15.7 (60.3) |
13.3 (55.9) |
17.9 (64.2) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 7.9 (46.2) |
8.7 (47.7) |
10.5 (50.9) |
11.8 (53.2) |
14.0 (57.2) |
17.3 (63.1) |
19.1 (66.4) |
19.4 (66.9) |
18.0 (64.4) |
15.3 (59.5) |
11.7 (53.1) |
9.6 (49.3) |
13.6 (56.5) |
Record low °C (°F) | −1.2 (29.8) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
2.3 (36.1) |
3.6 (38.5) |
6.7 (44.1) |
8.0 (46.4) |
11.9 (53.4) |
13.1 (55.6) |
9.9 (49.8) |
7.8 (46.0) |
2.7 (36.9) |
1.2 (34.2) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 59.7 (2.35) |
52.0 (2.05) |
39.4 (1.55) |
38.8 (1.53) |
21.6 (0.85) |
4.3 (0.17) |
1.8 (0.07) |
3.9 (0.15) |
22.5 (0.89) |
60.6 (2.39) |
91.2 (3.59) |
115.8 (4.56) |
511.6 (20.14) |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 182.1 | 172.0 | 242.6 | 253.6 | 305.0 | 326.9 | 360.6 | 344.9 | 279.1 | 227.0 | 191.6 | 159.0 | 3,044.4 |
Percent possible sunshine | 59 | 56 | 65 | 64 | 68 | 74 | 81 | 82 | 75 | 65 | 63 | 53 | 67 |
Source: |
Climate data for Faro (FAO), elevation: 8 m or 26 ft, 1961-1990 normals and extremes | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 22.4 (72.3) |
25.6 (78.1) |
27.4 (81.3) |
28.3 (82.9) |
33.8 (92.8) |
36.7 (98.1) |
39.8 (103.6) |
39.4 (102.9) |
37.4 (99.3) |
33.3 (91.9) |
28.8 (83.8) |
25.4 (77.7) |
39.8 (103.6) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 16.1 (61.0) |
16.7 (62.1) |
18.4 (65.1) |
19.8 (67.6) |
22.4 (72.3) |
25.4 (77.7) |
28.7 (83.7) |
28.8 (83.8) |
26.7 (80.1) |
23.1 (73.6) |
19.4 (66.9) |
16.7 (62.1) |
21.8 (71.3) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 11.9 (53.4) |
12.6 (54.7) |
13.7 (56.7) |
15.1 (59.2) |
17.5 (63.5) |
20.6 (69.1) |
23.3 (73.9) |
23.4 (74.1) |
21.8 (71.2) |
18.7 (65.7) |
15.1 (59.2) |
12.7 (54.9) |
17.2 (63.0) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 7.7 (45.9) |
8.4 (47.1) |
8.9 (48.0) |
10.4 (50.7) |
12.5 (54.5) |
15.7 (60.3) |
17.9 (64.2) |
18.0 (64.4) |
16.9 (62.4) |
14.3 (57.7) |
10.9 (51.6) |
8.6 (47.5) |
12.5 (54.5) |
Record low °C (°F) | −1.2 (29.8) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
1.8 (35.2) |
3.6 (38.5) |
5.6 (42.1) |
7.4 (45.3) |
10.5 (50.9) |
11.6 (52.9) |
10.2 (50.4) |
6.0 (42.8) |
2.2 (36.0) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 78 (3.1) |
72 (2.8) |
39 (1.5) |
38 (1.5) |
21 (0.8) |
8 (0.3) |
1 (0.0) |
4 (0.2) |
14 (0.6) |
67 (2.6) |
86 (3.4) |
94 (3.7) |
522 (20.5) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) | 8 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 1 | trace | 1 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 56 |
Average relative humidity (%)
|
77 | 77 | 71 | 68 | 64 | 65 | 60 | 60 | 65 | 71 | 75 | 77 | 69 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 172 | 165 | 234 | 251 | 314 | 332 | 368 | 352 | 273 | 226 | 182 | 167 | 3,036 |
Source: NOAA[22] |
Human geography
Administratively, the municipality is divided into four civil parishes (
- Faro (Sé e São Pedro)
- Conceição e Estoi
- Montenegro
- Santa Bárbara de Nexe
International relations
Transport
Faro is served by a transport network connecting it to the Algarve, and by extension, other European markets. Faro is about 3 hours and 30 minutes by air from the principal European destinations. By car, it is about 2 hours and 30 minutes from Lisbon, along the A2, and less than 1 hour from Andalusia, along the A22.[25]
Through the
Faro is served by the centrally located
The town is served by a public transport network that include minibuses, local bus lines, and regional services across the Algarve.
Due to its position along the coast, a need exists to connect the shoreline communities with the outlying with various islands; with the exception of the island of Faro, most are accessible only by boat service.[29] Throughout the year (from the commercial wharf or Portas do Mar wharf, depending on the time of year), regular and tourist services are operated along the estuary.[29]
Culture and entertainment
The Faro city holiday is on 7 September.
The Faro motorcycle club is responsible for one of the largest motorcycle events in Portugal and Europe.[32]
Sports
A 30,000-seat stadium
Notable people
- Bakr Ben Yahia, an important Marrano figure in Gharb al-Andalus
- Madragana (born c. 1230), mistress to king Afonso III of Portugal
- Francisco Barreto (1520–1573), soldier, explorer and an officer in Morocco
- José Maria da Ponte e Horta (1824–1892), Portuguese noble, Governor of Angola, Macau and Mozambique
- Sebastião Custódio de Sousa Teles(1847–1921), senior politician and military officer
- Maria Veleda (1871–1955), educator, journalist and activist
- Raul Pires Ferreira Chaves (1889–1967), civil engineer and inventor
- Adelino da Palma Carlos (1905–1992), the first Prime Minister of Portugal after the Carnation Revolution of 1974
- Carlos Quintas (born 1951), stage and TV actor and singer[33]
- Sara Martins (born 1977), Portuguese-born French actress of Cape Verdean descent[34]
- Diogo Piçarra (born 1990), singer. He won the Portuguese version of Pop Idol in 2012.
Sport
- Manuel Balela (born 1956), football coach
- José Rafael (born 1958), retired footballer
- Ana Dias (born 1974), long-distance and marathon runner; four-time Olympian
- Rui Machado (born 1984), retired professional tennis player
- Inês Murta (born 1997), tennis player
References
- Notes
- ^ a b "População residente: total e por grandes grupos etários". Pordata. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ISBN 3-8297-6235-6.
- ^ "União de Freguesias de Faro". cm-faro.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ "Statistics Portugal". Ine.pt. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Câmara Municipal, ed. (2015), História (in Portuguese), Faro (Algarve), Portugal: Câmara Municipal de Faro
- ^ A revolta dos Muladis de Xantamarya Al-Gharb (Histórias de Portugal em Marrocos) https://historiasdeportugalemarrocos.com/2014/02/03/a-revolta-dos-muladis-de-xantamarya-al-gharb/
- ^ Villegas-Aristizábal, Lucas, "A Frisian Perspective on Crusading in Iberia as Part of the Sea Journey to the Holy Land, 1217–1218," Studies in Medieval and Renaissance History, 3rd Series 15 (2018, Pub. 2021): 88-149. https://www.academia.edu/37460772/A_Frisian_Perspective_on_Crusading_in_Iberia_as_part_of_the_Sea_Journey_to_the_Holy_Land_1217_1218
- ^ a b c d e f g h Câmara Municipal, ed. (2015), Natureza (in Portuguese), Faro, Portugal: Câmara Municipal de Faro
- ^ a b c d Câmara Municipal, ed. (2015), Praias (in Portuguese), Faro, Portugal: Câmara Municipal de Faro
- ^ "Temperatura média do ar (Média anual)".
- ^ a b "Statistics Portugal – Web Portal".
- ^ "Precipitação total".
- S2CID 153909896.
- ^ a b "IPMA – 008" (PDF). Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
- ^ Ltd, Copyright Global Sea Temperatures-A.-Connect. "Europe sea temperatures | Sea Temperatures". seatemperature.org. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
- ^ "Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera". www.ipma.pt. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
- ^ "Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera". www.ipma.pt. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
- ^ "The sunniest places on Earth". The Daily Telegraph. London.
- .
- .
- IPMA. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
- ^ "Faro (08554) – WMO Weather Station". NOAA. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
- ^ Diário da República. "Law nr. 11-A/2013, page 552 48" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Retrieved 22 July 2014.
- ^ "Geminações". cm-faro.pt (in Portuguese). Faro. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
- ^ a b Câmara Municipal, ed. (2015), Como Chegar (in Portuguese), Faro, Portugal: Câmara Municipal de Faro
- ^ a b Câmara Municipal, ed. (2015), Aeroporto (in Portuguese), Faro, Portugal: Câmara Municipal de Faro
- ^ Câmara Municipal, ed. (2015), Transporte Ferroviário (in Portuguese), Faro, Portugal: Câmara Municipal de Faro
- ^ Trains in the Algarve. wetravelportugal.com. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
- ^ a b Câmara Municipal, ed. (2015), Barco para ilhas (in Portuguese), Faro, Portugal: Câmara Municipal de Faro
- ^ "CRÓNICA DE FARO: 7 de Setembro, dia da cidade". Jornal do Algarve (in European Portuguese). 7 September 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- ^ Lemos, Pedro (14 May 2019). "Semana Académica recebeu "mais de 30 mil pessoas"". Sul Informação (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- ^ "Concentração internacional de motos". cm-faro.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- ^ Carlos Quintas, IMDb Database retrieved 5 June 2021.
- ^ Sara Martins, IMDb Database retrieved 5 June 2021.
- Sources
- Valla, Margarida, A Fortificação Moderna nas duas Cidades Portuárias: Faro e Setúbal (PDF) (in Portuguese), Faro, Portugal: Câmara Municipal de Faro
External links
- Official municipal website (in Portuguese)