Nazaré, Portugal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Location | ||||||
| - Country |  Portugal |
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| - Region | Centro | |||||
| - Subregion | Oeste | |||||
| - District or A.R. | Leiria | |||||
| Mayor | Jorge Barroso | |||||
| - Party | PSD | |||||
| Area | 82,4 km² | |||||
| Population | ||||||
| - Total | 14,904 | |||||
| - Density | 181/km² | |||||
| No. of parishes | 3 | |||||
| Coordinates | 39°36'N 9°4'W | |||||
| Municipal holiday | September 8 |
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| Website: http://www.cm-nazare.pt | ||||||
Nazaré (pron. IPA: [nɐzɐ'ɾɛ]) is a town and a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 82,4 km² and a total population of 14,904 inhabitants. It is in subregion Oeste and Leiria district.
According to legend, the town derives its name from a statue of the Virgin Mary brought here by a monk in the 4th century from Nazareth, Palestine.
It has become a popular tourist attraction, advertising itself as a picturesque seaside village. Located on the of the Atlantic coast, it has long sandy beaches (considered by some to be among the best beaches of Portugal) that are crowded with tourists in the summer. The town used to be known for its traditional costumes worn by the fishermen. Their wives were dressed in black, wearing the traditional headscarf and embroidered aprons over seven flannel skirts in different colours. These dresses can still occasionally be seen.
The town consists of three sections: A Praia (along the beach), O Sítio (the old town, on a hilltop) and Pederneira (on another hilltop). The A Praia and O Sítio areas are linked by the Nazaré Funicular, a funicular railway.
The original settlement was in Sítio on the rock face 110 m above the beach. It was the inhabitants' safe base against raids by Algerian, French, English and Dutch pirates that lasted even till the beginning of the 19th century. The Church of Nossa Senhora da Nazaré was built to commemorate a legendary miraculous intervention by the Virgin in saving the life of a 12th century knight.
The municipality is composed of 3 parishes, and is located in the District of Leiria.It is one of the most popular seaside resorts in the Silver Coast/Costa de Prata,Portugal.
The present Mayor is Jorge Antunes Barroso, elected by the Social Democratic Party.
The municipal holiday is September 8 with a Romaria da Senhora da Nazaré a religious festival with processions, bullfights and folk dancing.
[edit] Parishes
- Famalicão
- Nazaré
- Valado dos Frades
[edit] Twin cities
[edit] External links
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