Leiria
Leiria | |
---|---|
UTC±00:00 (WET) | |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+01:00 (WEST) |
Postal code | 2400 Leiria |
Local holiday | Our Lady of the Assumption May 22 |
Website | www |
Leiria (Portuguese pronunciation:
History
The region around Leiria has long been inhabited although its early history is obscure. The first evident inhabitants were the Turduli Oppidani,[3] a Celtici tribe (akin to the Lusitanians), who established a settlement near (around 7 km) present-day Leiria. This settlement was later occupied by the Romans, who expanded it under the original Celtiberian name Collippo.[4] The stones of the ancient Roman town were used in the Middle Ages to build much of Leiria.
The name "Leiria" in Portuguese derives from 'leira' (from the medieval
South of Leiria in that period was the so-called "no-man's land", until regions further south (like Santarém and Lisbon) were permanently taken and re-populated by the Christians. In 1142 Afonso Henriques gave Leiria its first foral (compilation of feudal rights) to stimulate the colonisation of the region.
Both
During the Middle Ages the importance of the village increased, and it was the setting of several cortes (feudal parliaments). The first of the cortes held in Leiria took place in 1245, under King Afonso II. In the early 14th century, the king restored the keep tower of the citadel of the castle, as can be seen in an inscription in the tower. He also built a royal residence in Leiria (now lost), and lived for long periods in the town, which he donated as feud to his wife, Elizabeth of Portugal (Rainha Isabel).
The king also ordered the plantation of the famous Pine Forest of Leiria (Pinhal de Leiria) near the coast. Later, the wood from this forest would be used to build the ships used in the Portuguese Navigations of the 15th and 16th centuries.
In the late 14th century,
John I also sponsored the rebuilding in late gothic style of the old Church of Our Lady of the Rock (Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Pedra), located inside the castle.
Towards the end of the 15th century the town continued to grow, occupying the area from the castle hill down to the river Lis. King Manuel I gave it a new foral in 1510, and, in 1545, it was elevated to the category of city and became see of a diocese.
The Cathedral of Leiria was built in the second half of the 16th century in a mix of late
Compared to the Middle Ages, the subsequent history of Leiria is of relative decay. The city was stormed by the
In the 20th century, however, its strategic position in the Portuguese territory favoured the development of a diversified industry.
Geography
Leiria is located in western
Leiria is also the seat of its own sub-region, Região de Leiria, which includes the cities of Marinha Grande, Pombal as well the municipalities/town seats of Batalha, Alcobaça and Porto de Mós located nearby.
Climate
The city of Leiria has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csb) with warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Its location near the Atlantic coast keeps temperature variation relatively minimal. The average annual temperature is around 16 °C (61 °F), varying between 11 °C (52 °F) in January, to 21 °C (70 °F) in August.
Winters are mild and wet. On average, around 50% of the days receive some form of precipitation in this season. Average temperatures range between 15 °C (59 °F) during the day and 7 °C (45 °F) at night and can go below freezing (< 0 °C (32 °F)) on colder days, favoring the onset of frost or ice.
Springs are pleasant, but usually rainy during the month of April. This season, though wet, is slightly drier than winter, with the majority of days receiving no precipitation. Average temperatures range between 20 °C (68 °F) at day and 11 °C (52 °F) at night.
Summers bring high temperatures and sunshine. Precipitation, when present, mostly occurs in the form of drizzle, and accounts for only around 20% of days between June and September. Sunshine hours reach their maximum in August (which is sunny 70% of the time). Average temperatures range between 27 °C (81 °F) at day and 15 °C (59 °F) at night, the maximum can reach 35 °C (95 °F) on the hottest days.
Autumn, although mild, is the rainiest season of the year. Average temperatures range between 21 °C (70 °F) and 11 °C (52 °F).
Snowfalls in the city of Leiria typically occur once every 20 to 30 years. The last time it snowed in Leiria was on 29 January 2006, between 10 and 12 a.m., during which the temperature peaked at −3 °C (27 °F). The highest temperature recorded in Leiria was 42.3 °C (108.1 °F) on 4 August 2018.[6]
Climate data for Leiria | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 14.2 (57.6) |
15.1 (59.2) |
17.1 (62.8) |
18.9 (66.0) |
20.6 (69.1) |
23.5 (74.3) |
25.3 (77.5) |
25.9 (78.6) |
24.2 (75.6) |
21.6 (70.9) |
17.2 (63.0) |
14.6 (58.3) |
19.9 (67.8) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 10.8 (51.4) |
11.4 (52.5) |
13.3 (55.9) |
14.9 (58.8) |
16.6 (61.9) |
19.1 (66.4) |
20.7 (69.3) |
21.1 (70.0) |
19.9 (67.8) |
17.6 (63.7) |
13.7 (56.7) |
11.3 (52.3) |
15.9 (60.6) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 7.4 (45.3) |
7.8 (46.0) |
9.5 (49.1) |
10.9 (51.6) |
12.6 (54.7) |
14.8 (58.6) |
16.1 (61.0) |
16.3 (61.3) |
15.7 (60.3) |
13.6 (56.5) |
10.3 (50.5) |
8.1 (46.6) |
11.9 (53.4) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 114.5 (4.51) |
88.7 (3.49) |
49.9 (1.96) |
70.6 (2.78) |
46.8 (1.84) |
22.1 (0.87) |
6.9 (0.27) |
12.5 (0.49) |
40.0 (1.57) |
114.0 (4.49) |
106.2 (4.18) |
105.4 (4.15) |
777.6 (30.6) |
Source 1: Climate-data.org[7] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: Portuguese Environmental Agency (precipitation 1985-2017)[8] |
Parishes
Administratively, the municipality is divided into 18 civil parishes (
- Amor
- Arrabal
- Bajouca
- Bidoeira de Cima
- Caranguejeira
- Coimbrão
- Colmeias e Memória
- Leiria, Pousos, Barreira e Cortes
- Maceira
- Marrazes e Barosa
- Milagres
- Monte Real e Carvide
- Monte Redondo e Carreira
- Parceiros e Azoia
- Regueira de Pontes
- Santa Catarina da Serra e Chainça
- Santa Eufémia e Boa Vista
- Souto da Carpalhosa e Ortigosa
Demographics
Demographic evolution of Leiria[10] | |||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1801 | 1849 | 1900 | 1930 | 1960 | 1981 | 1991 | 2001 | 2011 | 2021 | ||||||||||
37,930 | 29,803 | 54,422 | 55,234 | 82,988 | 96,517 | 102,762 | 119,847 | 126,879 | 128,640 |
Culture
In addition to being a site of historical interest, the castle of Leiria provides a venue for cultural events. Nearby is the Church of Saint Peter (Igreja de São Pedro), the site of the city's annual music festival. Leiria is home to the Museu da imagem em movimento (Museum of the Moving Image)[11] as well as Portugal's restored first paper mill, Moinho do Papel (The Paper Mill),[12] the Theatre Miguel Franco in the Mercado de Sant'Ana (Saint Anne's Market)[13] and the Theatre José Lúcio da Silva[14] are venues for theatrical, musical, cinematic and dance performances.
Today the central square, Praça Francisco Rodrigues Lobo, named after the Portuguese poet
In October 2012, Leiria opened the city's "Centro Cívico", a modern architecture building, designed to have social impact on the community. This building has the life of Eça de Queiroz as a theme. In here, there's senior classes and Associação Fazer Avançar runs SPEAK, with support from EDP and Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, among others.
The city has several cultural entities like Leiria's Public Library Afonso Lopes Vieira, Arquivo, Ateneu, Leirena and O Nariz (theatre groups), Associação Fazer Avançar, FADE IN, Metamorfose, ECO and many others which make Leiria a culturally vibrant city, offering the busiest calendars of events.
In recent years, Leiria has seen much redevelopment on the banks of the Lis River, with the creation of several new parks, public spaces, children's play areas, skateboard parks and a series of themed bridges. A long riverside promenade was built which is popular with walkers and joggers.
Since 2010, Associação FADE IN organizes ENTREMURALHAS, one of the most important gothic festivals in the world (List of gothic festivals).
Gastronomy
Leiria's gastronomy offers a good variety of Portuguese dishes including fresh fish dishes and the famous "Leitão" da Boavista (barbecued piglet/ suckling pig). The nearby village of Cortes is known for "Migas", a dish of corn bread with spinach, garlic and olive oil which is eaten as an accompaniment to fish or meat.
Typical Dishes: Morcela de Arroz; Lentriscas; Bacalhoada com migas; Bacalhau com feijão frade; Ossinhos; Fritada; Cabrito; Feijoada; Leitão; Chanfana; Fritada dos peixinhos; Bacalhau com Chícharos.
Traditional sweet pastry: Brisas do Lis; Lampreia de Ovos; Ovos Folhados; Bolinhos de Pinhão; Tarte de Chícharos (Alvaiázere); Canudos de Leiria; Doce de amêndoa; Broas Doces de Batata; Merendeiras dos Santos; Filhós de abóbora.
Wines of the region: Caves Vidigal, S.A./ Vale da Mata, Cortes / Quinta da Serrinha (Vin Bio), Barreira / Santos & Santos, Torres Vedras / Quinta da Sapeira, Serra d'Aire / Paço Côrtes, Lda. IGP Lisboa, Sub-região Alta Estremadura. These wines are labeled D.O.C. (Denominação de Origem Controlada) which secures a superior quality. Also parte of the Portuguese wine region Encostas de Aire (DOC).
Panoramic view
Economy
Leiria has an economy concentrated on services and light industries. It has several industries related with plastics and moulds, as well as animal food, milling, cement, and civil construction, among other light industries. Agriculture, tourism, and state-run public services, such as education (including the
Transport
Leiria is connected to its suburbs and the rest of Portugal by a motorway network. There are four motorways passing the city;
- , passing by Leiria.
- A8 linking Leiria to Lisbon.
- A17 linking Marinha Grande to Aveiro.
- A19, linking Leiria and Batalha, using part of the IC2.
There is a railway Linha do Oeste (west railway line linking Cacém (Sintra/Lisbon area) to Figueira da Foz) which serves the central western coast of Portugal. Leiria railway station is a few km from the city centre (about 2 km).
The main bus station service is in the city centre. The bus service, called Mobilis, is composed by 9 lines connecting surrounding neighbourhoods and parishes of Leiria with the city centre. This includes two bus loops and a specific line (uMob) that connects the city centre with Campus 1 and 2 of the Instituto Politécnico de Leiria.
There is a small
Leiria-based newspapers
- Região de Leiria – Weekly
- Jornal de Leiria – Weekly
- Diário de Leiria – Daily
- O Mensageiro – Monthly - closed
Education
Leiria hosts a national public
- Campus 1 - School of Education and Social Sciences (ESECS).
- Campus 2 - School of Technology and Management (ESTG) and the School Of Health Sciences (ESS)
- Campus 5 - Institute for Research, Development and Advanced Studies (INDEA), the Training Centre for the Courses of Technology Specialization (FOR.CET) with around 900 students, the Centre of New Opportunities (CNO), a Transfer Technology and Information Center (OTIC) and an E-Learning Unit (UED).
There is also a private institution, o Instituto Superior de Línguas e Administração (ISLA).[18]
In Secondary education, Leiria has the following schools, the first two in the center, the last in the outskirts.
- Escola Secundária de Francisco Rodrigues Lobo (former Liceu)[19]
- Escola Secundária de Domingos Sequeira (former Escola Comercial)[20]
- Escola Secundária de Afonso Lopes Vieira, in Gândara dos Olivais, Marrazes.[21]
In Primary education, Leiria has the following schools, teaching from the 5th grade until 9th grade.
- Escola D. Dinis[22]
- Escola Correia Mateus (with 1st cycle)[23]
- Escola José Saraiva[24]
- Escola de Marrazes[25]
- Colégio Dinis de Melo[26]
- Colégio Senhor dos Milagres[27]
Besides this there are multiple schools in the Municipality for the 1st cycle, from 1st grade until 4th grade.
Sport
The city of Leiria has its own
An important facility is the Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa, situated close to Leiria castle. The modern stadium has a capacity for 23,000 people and was built for the UEFA Euro 2004.[28] Efforts were made to sell it, as its debt (nearly €50M) overburdens the city finances,[29][30] União de Leiria rents the stadium, but played the 2011-12 season in Estádio Municipal da Marinha Grande due to a rent dispute.[31]
The district football in Leiria is managed by the Leiria Football Association, overseeing the regional leagues.[32]
Regarding other sports, Leiria has a notable women's handball team, Juve Lis, which plays in the Women's Handball League, and also participated in EHF competitions.[33][34] Since 2013 Leiria has had a chess academy (Academia de Xadrez) offered as an activity for young people by the Corvos do Lis. Enrolled students have won titles in National Competitions: second place by teams under 12 years old in 2014 and 2015 and a National Champion, (Blitz, 2013, Under 8) and (Super Rapid play, 2015, under 10). They work with many primary schools in the region teaching chess, considering it a useful complement to developing intellectual skills.[35]
Leiria also holds other facilities that can host different sport activities. They are Campo Futebol Aldeia do Desporto, Centro Nacional de Lançamentos, Pavilhão Gimnodesportivo dos Pousos (and adjacent Campo da Charneca), and Pavilhão do Lis. The latter was recognized by the Portuguese Paralympic Committee has the first paralympic inclusive venue of its kind in Portugal.[36]
Leiria was chosen as one of the European Cities of Sport in 2022.[37]
International relations
According to the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities,
- Tokushima, Japan (since 1969)
- Setúbal, Portugal (since 1982)
- Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, France (since 1982)
- Maringá, Brazil (since 1982)[39]
- Olivenza, Spain (since 1984)
- Olavarría, Argentina (since 1992)[40]
- São Filipe, Cape Verde (since 1994)
- Rheine, Germany (since 1996)
- Halton, United Kingdom (since 1997)
- Tongling, China (since 1999)
- Nampula, Mozambique (since 2002)
- Quint-Fonsegrives, France (since 2010)
- Penglai, China (since 2014)[40]
Notable people
- bucolic writer.[41]
- Adriano Sousa Lopes (1879-1944), a Portuguese modernist painter and engraver
- modernistfrescoes, he made many friezes, frescos, stained glass and ceramic panels for public buildings
- agronomist, he researched Black pod disease
- José Hermano Saraiva (1919–2012), a Portuguese professor, historian, jurist and TV personality
- António Campos (1922–1999), a pioneer filmmaker of visual anthropology.[42]
- António Cardoso e Cunha (1933–2021), politician, Govt. minister & first European Commissioner.
- António-Pedro Vasconcelos (born 1939), a Portuguese film director.[43]
- Joaquim Justino Carreira (1950−2013), Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Guarulhos, Brazil.
- José António Vieira da Silva (born 1953), a Portuguese politician and Govt. minister, 2015-2019
- António Lacerda Sales (born 1962), a Portuguese politician and Secretary of State, 2019-2022.
- David Fonseca (born 1973), a musician, singer-songwriter and photographer.
- Rúben de Almeida Barbeiro (born 1987), known as KURA, an electro house music DJ and producer.
Sport
- Rui António da Cruz Ferreira(born 1960), known as Nascimento, a retired footballer with 345 club caps
- Vânia Silva (born 1980), a female hammer thrower
- João Paulo Andrade(born 1981), a Portuguese footballer with over 380 club caps
- Rui Patrício (born 1988), a football goalkeeper with over 430 club caps and 97 for Portugal
- Irina Rodrigues (born 1991), a female discus thrower
- João Vieira (born 1991), a Portuguese footballer with over 250 club caps
- Ivan Domingues (born 2006), racing driver
See also
- Centro Region, Portugal
References
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- ^ "Áreas das freguesias, concelhos, distritos e país". Archived from the original on 2018-11-05. Retrieved 2018-11-05.
- ^ Strabo, Geographikon, III, 3, 5.
- ^ "Portal do Arqueólogo".
- ^ "Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués".
- IPMA. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
- ^ Climate data: Leiria - Climate-data.org
- ^ "Leiria (15E/01UG)". snirh.apambiente.pt. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
- ^ Diário da República. "Law nr. 11-A/2013, page 552 61" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Retrieved 24 July 2014.
- ^ "UMA POPULAÇÃO QUE SE URBANIZA" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 16 October 2012.
- ^ "Museu da imagem em movimento | C.M. Leiria". Archived from the original on 2015-06-27. Retrieved 2015-06-26.
- ^ "Moinho do Papel - C.M. Leiria". www.cm-leiria.pt. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
- ^ "Mercado de Sant'Ana - C.M. Leiria". www.cm-leiria.pt. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
- ^ "Teatro José Lúcio da Silva". Teatro José Lúcio da Silva. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
- ^ "Hospital de Santo André, EPE". Hsaleiria.min-saude.pt. Retrieved 2013-12-08.
- ^ "Base Aérea Nº 5" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 16 October 2012.
- ^ "IP Leiria". Retrieved 16 October 2012.
- ^ "Instituto Superior de Línguas e Administração". Archived from the original on 2012-11-08.
- ^ "Escola Secundária de Francisco Rodrigues Lobo (ESFRL)".
- ^ "Escola Secundária Domingos Sequeira".
- ^ "Escola Secundária Afonso Lopes Vieira". Archived from the original on 2012-01-20.
- ^ "Escola D. Dinis".
- ^ "Escolas Dr. Correia Mateus".
- ^ "Escolas do Concelho de Leiria". www.cm-leiria.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2019-10-28.
- ^ "Escola Marrazes".
- ^ "Colégio Dinis de Melo".
- ^ "Colégio Senhor dos Milagres".
- ^ "Venues Guide – Leiria". BBC Sport (British Broadcasting Corporation). 25 May 2004. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
- ^ "Câmara de Leiria admite vender estádio construído para o Euro 2004". Público. 29 December 2009. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
- ^ "Estádio de Leiria custa 16.750 euros por dia à Câmara". Sapo.pt. 9 June 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
- ^ "Leiria constrói três relvados sintéticos na Marinha Grande". Sol. 18 July 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
- ^ "Factos Históricos da A.F. Leiria". afleiria.fpf.pt.
- ^ "História". juvelis.pt. Archived from the original on 2015-04-16.
- ^ "POR Juve Lis". EHF.com.
- ^ "Clube Cultural e Desportivo Corvos do Lis". Corvosdolis.com (in Portuguese). CorvosdoLis. Archived from the original on December 18, 2015.
- ^ "Pavilhão do Lis" (in Portuguese). Câmara Municipal de Leiria.
- ^ "European cities of Sport". ACES Europe.
- ^ "Consulta". www.anmp.pt. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
- ^ "Câmara Municipal de Leiria". Cm-leiria.pt. Archived from the original on 2013-11-09. Retrieved 2013-03-26.
- ^ a b "Geminações". www.cm-leiria.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2019-10-28.
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 16 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 837–838. .
- ^ António Campos, IMDb Database retrieved 23 July 2021.
- ^ António-Pedro Vasconcelos, IMDb Database retrieved 23 July 2021.