Oeiras Municipality, Portugal

Oeiras () is a town and municipality in the western part of Lisbon metropolitan area, located within the Portuguese Riviera, in continental Portugal. The municipality is part of the urban agglomeration of Lisbon and the town of Oeiras is about 16 km from Lisbon downtown. The population in 2011 was 172,120 living in an area of 45.88 km², making the municipality the fifth-most densely populated in Portugal.

Oeiras is an important economic hub, being one of the most highly developed municipalities of Portugal and Europe. It has the highest GDP per capita in the country, being also the second highest-ranking municipality (immediately after Lisbon) in terms of purchasing power as well as the second highest-ranking in the country as far as tax collection is concerned. These economic indicators also reflect the education level of its inhabitants, as Oeiras is the municipality with the highest concentration of population by tertiary education attainment in the country, their entrepreneurial prowess and the economically liberal mindset of Oeiras' society in general. It also has the lowest unemployment rate in the Lisbon area.

History

The mild climate, access to water, quality of its soils and geographically advantageous location at the mouth of the Tagus River attracted early settlement to this region. The rugged hilltops of the interior conditioned cultivation and allowed the settlement of several small agricultural castros within the region's limits, such as Castro of Leceia (which was classified in 1963 as a property of public interest). This archaeological site is a witness to the early settlements and defensive structures that developed during the Chalcolithic period, although Paleolithic camps such as ''Gruta da Ponte da Laje'' are indicative of earlier settlements.

Remnants of the Roman occupation of the Iberian peninsula are evident in many places throughout the municipality, including mosaics, specifically along the ''Rua das Alcássimas'', and a Roman bridge. The later Arab conquest left behind several toponymic markers, including Arab/Moorish place names such as Alcássimas, Algés, Alpendroado and Quinta da Moura.

Kingdom era

The settlement of Oeiras dates back to 1208, when the area was colonized by Christians arrived from northern lands of the Kingdom of Portugal who were moving south into warmer agricultural lands during the process of Reconquista (reconquest of ancient Visigothic Kingdom’s territory occupied by Muslim invaders since the 8th century).

At the beginning of the Age of Discoveries, Oeiras became the industrial and commercial warehouse of Lisbon. The development of the Gunpowder Factory ( pt, Fábrica da Pólvora) in Barcarena was therefore important in the expansion of the Portuguese dominions of the Orient, in addition to the aggregate extraction and calcium oxide furnaces in Paço de Arcos. These industries were supported and guarded by the construction of several fortifications along a maritime defensive line that ringed the southern coast to Lisbon and that controlled navigation in the Tagus estuary from the 16th to 18th centuries. This perimeter included the Fort of São Lourenço da Cabeça Seca (also known as the Lighthouse or Tower of Bugio), rising from a tiny islet in the middle of the Tagus River, as well as the Fort of São Julião da Barra, both examples of Renaissance military architecture.

The municipality was founded in 1759 by the Marquis of Pombal on an area granted as a reward by King Joseph I to his minister for his efforts in rebuilding Lisbon's historical downtown ( pt, Baixa) after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. A royal charter, dated 7 June 1759, gave jurisdiction over the lands within Oeiras to the King's loyal minister, who became the first Count of Oeiras. A month later, the small village was elevated to the status of town, and then gained municipal status on 13 June 1759. Although Oeiras had a history of earlier settlement, it was during the reign of Joseph I that economic and social development, conditioned by the influence of the King's Minister, who promoted innovation and supported local economic activities, began to flourish.

In 1770, the first agricultural and industrial fair was established in Oeiras, representing a unique national event that also contributed to the creation of fishing shelters and a new customs house and factory, among other projects. One of the principal developments was the construction of the estate of the Marquess of Pombal, which today exists in its original form, with garden, palace and agricultural dependencies, such as the wine cellar, barn and other buildings, today housing the national institutions responsible for bio-science.

In 1894, the municipality was abolished, but it was reestablished four years later on 13 January 1898. It was reconstituted without Carcavelos, which was annexed to Cascais, while gaining the civil parish of Benfica. In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, several estates and palaces began to be constructed in order to explore agricultural production, principally cereals and vineyards, which supported the growing markets of Lisbon. However, this activity began to decline by the 19th century and was replaced by new industry, supported by the Lisbon-Cascais railway link, first inaugurated in 1889. Large factories began to locate in the municipality, among them the ''Fábrica do Papel'', the ''Fundição de Oeiras'', a Lusalite and ''Fermentos Holandeses''.

20th century

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the growth of leisure activities along the coast transformed Oeiras, which became a privileged location for the Portuguese elite.

By the beginning of the 20th century, many of the beaches in Oeiras were already occupied by the higher social classes, who travelled to the municipality for medical reasons (believing the air and beach-waters were therapeutic). The construction of National Roadway 6 (EN6) would later link Lisboa to Cascais, permitting new travellers to experience the area, resulting in an influx of new residents that expanded the urban centres, giving rise to beach "chalets" and summer cottages. Simultaneously, the concentration of economic activities in Lisbon and surrounding urban municipalities meant that Oeiras had direct access to the capital.

After 1940–50, the municipality began to function as a suburb and bedroom community, attracting more residential growth along the coast. This culminated in the 1970s with the appearance of illegal urban settlements, squatters and barrios. Until the 1980s, the municipality was dependent on the much larger urban centre for development.

By the end of the 1980s, however, Oeiras began to constitute its own economic pole in the Lisbon metropolitan area, concentrating its development on tertiary activities linked to science, investigation, information technology and communications. At the end of the 20th century, the municipality became known for its high standard of living, leaving behind its image as a suburb of Lisbon and assuming an important position as a centre associated with new technologies (with the establishment of various technology parks, such as Taguspark and LagoasPark) and service industries. The elevated standard of living and work allowed the region to obtain several awards, including the ''Melhor Concelho para Trabalhar'' ('Best Municipality to Work'), ''Município de excelência'' ('Municipal Excellence' Award), European Enterprise Award and the ECOXXI Award.

Geography

The municipality is located along the northern margin and mouth of the Tagus River, across from the municipality of Almada, surrounded by the municipalities of Lisbon (east), Sintra (north), Amadora (northeast) and Cascais (west).

Administratively, the municipality is divided into five civil parishes (''freguesias''):
* Algés, Linda-a-Velha e Cruz Quebrada-Dafundo
* Barcarena
* Carnaxide e Queijas
* Oeiras e São Julião da Barra, Paço de Arcos e Caxias
* Porto Salvo