Golegã | |||
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— Municipality — | |||
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Location in Portugal | |||
Coordinates: | |||
Country | Portugal | ||
Region | Ribatejo | ||
Subregion | Lezíria do Tejo | ||
District/A.R. | Santarém | ||
Government | |||
• Mayor | José Veiga Maltez (PS) | ||
Area | |||
• Total | 76.6 km2 (29.6 sq mi) | ||
Population | |||
• Total | 5,629 | ||
• Density | 73/km2 (189.1/sq mi) | ||
Parishes (no.) | 2 | ||
Municipal holiday | Ascension Day date varies |
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Website | http://www.cm-golega.pt |
Golegã (Portuguese pronunciation: [ɡol(ɨ)ˈɣɐ̃]) is a small municipality in Portugal with a total area of 76.6 km² and a total population of 5,629 inhabitants.
The municipality is composed of 2 parishes, and is located in Santarém District.
The present Mayor is José Tavares Veiga da Silva Maltez, elected by the Socialist Party.
The municipal holiday is Ascension Day.
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Population of Golegã municipality | ||||||||
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1801 | 1849 | 1900 | 1930 | 1960 | 1981 | 1991 | 2001 | 2004 |
2452 | 2866 | 5694 | 6325 | 6150 | 5963 | 6072 | 5710 | 5629 |
The main historical sight of Golegã is its main church (matriz), built in the early 16th century in Manueline (Portuguese late Gothic) style. The remarkable main portal and the ribbed vaulting inside the main chapel are its most important artistic features.
Near Golegã village is located the Quinta da Cardiga, a manor house with its origin in a 12th century donation to the Knights Templar. Originally the site of a castle, the property was remodelled in the 16th century into a Renaissance rural palace.
The winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize for Literature, José Saramago, was born in the parish of Azinhaga in 1922.
Golegã is considered the capital of the horse (Capital do Cavalo), and it has been the site for the gathering of breeders since at least the 18th century. Two fairs take place every November in Golegã: The Feira Nacional do Cavalo (National Horse Fair) and the Feira Internacional do Cavalo Lusitano, dedicated to the Lusitano horse.
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