Ericeira

Ericeira
Civil Parish (Freguesia)
One of the main beaches in the civil parish of Ericeira
Coat of arms
Official name: Freguesia de Ericeira
Name origin: ouriceira, Portuguese derivative of ouriço, meaning sea urchin; recent investigations suggest that it derived from ouriço-caixeiro, meaning hedgehog, a symbol of the Phoenician goddess Astarte
Country	Portugal
Region	Lisbon
Subregion	Greater Lisbon
District	Lisbon
Municipality	Mafra
Localities	Bairro Arsénio Amadeu, Calçadinha Preta, Ericeira, Fonte Boa, Fonte Boa dos Nabos, Lapa da Serra, Pinhal dos Frades, Seixal
Center	Ericeira
Lowest point	Sea level
- location	Atlantic Ocean, Ericeira, Mafra
- elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Length	4.49 km (3 mi), Northwest-Southeast
Width	4.31 km (3 mi), Southwest-Northeast
Area	12.05 km2 (5 sq mi)
Population	6,597 (2001)
Density	547.46 / km2 (1,418 / sq mi)
Settlement	1200 BCE
- Parish	c. 1229
LAU	Freguesia/Junta Freguesia
- location	Largo de Santa Marta, Ericeira, Mafra
President Junta	António Manuel Mansura
Timezone	WET (UTC0)
- summer (DST)	WEST (UTC+1)
ISO 3166-2 code	PT-
Postal Zone	2655-357 Ericeira
Area Code & Prefix	(+351) 261 XX XX XX
Parish Address	Largo de Santa Marta, 9 2655-357 Ericeira
Wikimedia Commons: Ericeira
Statistics: Instituto Nacional de Estatística[1]
Website: http://www.ericeira.org/
Geographic detail from CAOP (2010)[2] produced by Instituto Geográfico Português (IGP)

Ericeira (Portuguese pronunciation: [eɾiˈsɐjɾɐ]) is a civil parish and seaside resort/fishing community on the western coast of Portugal, in the municipality of Mafra, about 35 kilometres (22 mi) northwest of the capital, Lisbon. It is a popular destination for local and visiting tourists, as well as amateur surfers (owing to the 40 beaches with good conditions in the area).^[3]

History

The Praia dos Pescadores, location of the departure of King Manuel II after the 5 October 1910 revolution

Convoluted in its history was the region's taxonomic name; Ericeira originated from Ouriceira, itself a derivative of Ouriço, referring to the name for sea urchins (used in parish's coat-of-arms).^[4] One legend suggested that Ericeira was the terra de ouriços (land of ouriços), owing to, what was assumed to be the numerous quantity of sea-urchins that abounded along the beaches.^[4] Yet, recent investigations, archived in the Museum of the Misericórdia, confirms that the animal mentioned was not an "ouriço", but an "ouriço-caixeiro" (hedgehog), a species that equivalent to the Phoenician goddess Astarte.^[4] Its old settlement, presumably dates to the passage and colonization of the Phoenicians.^[4]

The region's first foral (charter) dates to 1229, when it was issued by friar D. Fernão Rodrigues Monteiro, Master of the Cavalry and the Military Order of São Bento de Avis, which was later reformed by King Manuel, in 1513.

Owing to the regions commercial maritime access, Ericeira was an area frequented by peoples for its climatic and seaside comforts.^[5] In fact, Charles Lepierre, a chemical engineer referred to Eirceira's beaches as "a focus of the major concentration of iodine in all of the northern Portuguese coast".^[5] In 1803, the Bishop of Coimbra took regular baths in Eirceira, in addition to the Royal Family, who frequented its waters, including Queen Maria Pia of Savoy in 1864.^[5]

After the disappearance of King Sebastian of Portugal, during the Battle of Alcácer Quibir, there arose several pretenders to the throne.^[6] One of these, was the King of Ericeira, a young hermit based in the Chapel of São Julião, south of the village of Ericeira, who passed himself off as the Dom Sebastian.^[6] He crowned a Queen, distributed handouts and punished his detractors, conceding several noble titles. In the end, he was taken to the guillotine, and his supporters too ended-up in the gallows.^[6]

At the end of the 19th century, beginning of the 20th century, many of Lisbon's local aristocracy began to build homes in the parish, including the Burnays, Ulriches and Rivottis.^[5]

The development of the commercial port, turned Ericeira into a fundamental pole of the region's economy. Reports dating from 1834 noted the shipwrecks of 175 boats that transported products to the village, princiaplly cereals (which were then distributed into the interior), while exports were sent to the Algarve, the islands and other locations, especially wines and other spirits.^[7] The customshouse in Ericeira supported an area that extended from Cascais to Figueira da Foz, and the port was the fourth-most important in the country, after Lisbon, Porto and Setúbal.^[7] With the construction of the western railway and the development of terrestrial transport, the port of Ericeira lost much of its importance.^[7] At the end of the 19th century, several warehouses and supply shops for sardine fishers, that altered the old fishing characteristics of the site, employing 500 men in the meantime.^[7] Ericeira recognized its golden age of prosperity during the 19th century, when the port was the most transited in Estremadura.

During the Second World War, the region became a refuge for several foreign communities, including pockets of Poles, Germans, French, Belgians and Dutch expatriates, fleeing Nazi persecution in their homelands.^[5]

Ericeira is more famously known for the day that King Manuel II of Portugal went into exile, from the Praia dos Pescadores, after the outbreak of the 5 October 1910 revolution.^[8] It was about 3:00 in the afternoon of 5 October 1910, when the 20-year-old monarch, accompanied by Queen Amélie of Orleans and Queen Mother Maria Pia, arrived from Mafra. Arriving by car, from the Republican revolution recently installed in Lisbon, the king was bound for the royal yacht D. Amélia offshore. The details were later immortalized in 1928 by Júlio Ivo, then president of the municipal council of Mafra (during the presidency of Sidónio Pais, who explained: "...the automobiles stopped and the Royal Family got out, they followed the Rua do Norte to the Rua de Baixo, to the narrow lane that connects the two road, almost in front of the Travessa da Estrela...On arrival at the Rua de Baixo, the Royal Family went in the following order: at the front, the King Manuel; followed by Maria Pia, then Amélia...the King, who accompanied him, climbed aboard the boat using crates and baskets of fish...the flagman signalled with his hat, and the first boat, the Bomfim, carrying the blue and white flag on the stern, followed by the rows, driving the King...the affluence along the coast was immense. Everyone silent, but many with tears running from their eyes...The King was very pallid, Amélia animated, Maria Pia was overwhelmed...The boats had hardly come alongside the yacht, when in the village there appeared, coming from Sintra, a automobile with civil revolutionaries, armed with carbines and bearing bombs, which they later indicated they were prepared to throw at the beach, if they had reached it at the time of the departure...".^[8]

Its location, near Lisbon, and the development of the roadway network permitted, after the 1950s, a greater migration of summer sun-seekers, which helped to modify the character of the area.^[5] Initially a commercial fishing port, Ericeira was transformed into an urban agglomeration dependent on seasonal tourism.^[5]

Geography

Along its northern border is Coxos Break point, known as one of the best professional surfing areas in Europe, and not an area for beginners.^[3]

Economy

Ericeira Hotel

Ericeira is the home to Portugal's first/largest surfing association/club, the Ericeira Surf Clube. Founded in 1993, it developed from the surfing unit of the Ericeira Naval Club, which organized local, regional and national competitions in surf, bodyboard, kneeboard and longboard throughout the years. In addition the Surf Club began a school to train local athletes and visiting tourists who wanted to learn how to surf.

Architecture

The late 15th centuryChapel of Santa Marta Ericeira

Culture

Ericeira is also keen on its musical culture. The local philharmonic, currently named Filarmónica Cultural Ericeira, has existed since 1849 and pursues a path of success in this villages's musical heritage with a permanent free musical school for all who love this type of culture.

Sport

The beach of Ribeira d'Ilhas, which routinely hosts a round of the ASP World Tour Surf Championship and is widely-regarded as one of the best beaches in Europe for this sport, is located 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) to the north of the town.^[3] In 2011, Ericeira was chosen by the WSR to be one of the four World Surfing Reserves, together with Malibu and Santa Cruz, in California, and Manly Beach, in Australia. The local council have redeveloped the Ribeira d'Ilhas foreshore to commemorate and show their support for the importance of surfing to the local culture and economy.

See also

• Count of Ericeira

External links

• World Surfing Reserves
• Filarmónica Cultural Ericeira
• Ericeira Blog

References

Notes

References

• Santos, Leandro Miguel dos (1998), História da Ericeira: Contributos para a História e Toponímia da Ericeira (in Portuguese) 1, Lisbon, Portugal: Edição do Fórum Ericeirense 

v t e Parishes of Mafra Municipality Azueira Carvoeira Cheleiros Encarnação Enxara do Bispo Ericeira Gradil Igreja Nova Mafra Malveira Milharado Santo Estêvão das Galés Santo Isidoro São Miguel de Alcainça Sobral da Abelheira Venda do Pinheiro Vila Franca do Rosário