São Vicente (Abrantes)

São Vicente
Civil Parish (Freguesia)
The central square of São Vicente with the parish church dedicated to São Vicente Mártir
Coat of arms
Official name: Freguesia de São Vicente
Name origin: Portuguese for Saint Vincent
Country  Portugal
Region Centro
Sub-region Médio Tejo
District Santarém
Municipality Abrantes
Landmark Abrantes Castle
River Tagus River
Center São Vicente
 - coordinates
Area 38.64 km2 (15 sq mi)
Population 10,698 (2001)
Settlement fl. 1100
 - Parish c. 1149
 - Civil Parish c. 1834
LAU Freguesia/Junta Freguesia
 - location Avenida Defensores de Chaves, São Vicente, Abrantes
President Junta Aníbal Ramos Melo
President Assembleia Ana Paula Piedade Milho
Timezone WET (UTC0)
 - summer (DST) WEST (UTC+1)
ISO 3166-2 code PT-
Postal Zone 2200-301 Abrantes
Area Code & Prefix (+351) 241 XXX-XXX
Patron Saint São Vicente Mártir
Parish Address Avenida Defensores de Chaves
2200-301 Abrantes
Location of the parish of São Vicente, in the municipality of Abrantes
Wikimedia Commons: São Vicente (Abrantes)
Statistics from INE (2001); geographic detail from Instituto Geográfico Português (2010)

São Vicente is a Portuguese civil parish, located in municipality of Abrantes, in the older Santarém District, and which includes the northern part of the city of Abrantes. The parish has a population of just over 10698 inhabitants and an area less than 40 km²; although it is the fifth largest in the municipality and third densest, it is the most populated parish in the municipality.

Contents

History

A parish of São Vicente is the principal religious organ of the community of Abrantes, and its foundation dates back to the Goths.[1] The ancient church of São Vicente was founded in 1149, after Afonso Henriques took Abrantes Castle, but it subsequently received damage from Moorish attacks and was rebuilt.

It was known until 1150, as the parish of Nossa Senhora da Conceição and reconsecrated by the first alcaide from permission obtained from Afonso Henriques (a reliquiry of São Vicente Mártir was installed in the church).[2] The church was reconstructed under the initiative of King Sebastião, a project that concluded in 1590 under Philip I, completed and elaborated in the mannerist style.

It became a priory and vicary of the Royal Prior, Father Carvalho e Avelino de Almeida, but by 1758 these institutions (including many of the religious parishes of Abrantes, such as São Pedro and Santa Maria do Castelo) were under the protection of the Marquis of Abrantes.[3] Parish records for 1862 refer to São Vicente being passed on to the Marquis of Abrantes by the Order of Christ. The vicar of São Vicente represented the clergy of São Pedro de Alvega, São Silvestre de Aboboreira, Santa Eufémia de Rio de Moinhos and Santa Luzia do Pego, alternately with the parish of São João Baptista which was the seat of the adjunct, treasury and administration of the diocese.[4]

The parish administration of São Vicente was merged with that of Santa Maria do Castelo around 1834, although records for the latter continued until 1774.

Today, the religious parish is part of the diocese of Portalegre-Castelo Branco.

Geography

The long and narrow parish of São Vicente, which includes the northern half of the city of Abrantes, is mostly a large rural community. Its immediate neighbors are the Abrantes parishes of Carvalhal (to the north), Alferrarede (to the east), São João (to the southeast), São Miguel do Rio Torto (in the southe), Tramagal (in the southwest), Rio de Moinhos and Aldeia do Mato (to the west) and Souto (to the northwest), as well as the municipality of Sardoal (in the northeast). It has as its border the right margin of the Tagus River, which it shares with São Miguel do Rio Torto and Tramagal.

Architecture

Culture

Among its many religious or secular holidays, the parish of São Vicente is remembered for the Festa de São Lourenço (which falls on the last weekend of August and first of September) and the Festa da Abrançalha (which occurres on the last weekend of May/first weekend of June). In addition, the feast days of Paul (July), Our Lady of Graces (May) and Our Lady of Light (8 September), roundout the religious celebrations with the community.

References

Notes
  1. ^ Arquivo Distrital de Santarém (2010)
  2. ^ Arquivo Distrital de Santarém (2010)
  3. ^ Arquivo Distrital de Santarém (2010)
  4. ^ Arquivo Distrital de Santarém (2010)
Sources