Palmela () is a town and municipality in Portugal. As of 2011, the population was 62,831,Instituto Nacional de Estatística
/ref> covering an area of 465.12 km². The municipality is located in the

Lisboa Region Lisbon Region () is one of the seven NUTS II designated regions of Portugal, which coincides with the NUTS III subregion Lisbon metropolitan area, Lisbon Metropolitan Area. The region covers an area of 3001.95 km2 (the smallest region on main ...

and Setúbal District, about south of

Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...

. The municipal holiday is celebrated on 1 June.

Communes

Administratively, the municipality is divided into four civil parishes ('' freguesias''): * Palmela * Pinhal Novo * Poceirão e Marateca * Quinta do Anjo

General information

The area has been settled since at least Neolithic times, as evidenced by excavations at sites such as the artificial caves of Casal do Pardo and the Castro of Chibanes. The town's name originates from its Roman founder, Cornelius Palma (''Palmella''). Palmela, which was once a fortress, was conquered by the Portuguese in the 12th century. It is a semi-rural town situated on a hill in the Arrábida area, within Portugal's largest urban area. Many people are relocating to Palmela from larger cities like

. Wildfires in the region pose a threat to the environment. In 1165, during the Reconquista, a battle was fought near Palmela in which the Portuguese defeated a large Muslim army. The castle, Castelo de Palmela, offers a unique view of the entire Setúbal Peninsula, Lisbon, and the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

Coast. It was a strategic location in past centuries and remains a major junction in Portugal's road and rail networks today. Palmela is home to several multinational industrial units, such as

Volkswagen Volkswagen (VW; )English: , . is a German automotive industry, automobile manufacturer based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Established in 1937 by German Labour Front, The German Labour Front, it was revitalized into the global brand it ...

and

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a cola soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings ...

, and a significant number of foreign families reside in the area. The local radio often broadcasts in Ukrainian. Palmela's traditional products include its wine, which has won international awards at several festivals such as the Bordeaux Wine Festival, and '' Queijo de Azeitão'' ( Azeitão cheese). There are several festivals dedicated to these products, with the most famous being the ''Festa das Vindimas'' (Harvest' Festival) and the ''Festival do Queijo, Pão e Vinho'' (Festival of Cheese, Bread and Wine). Palmela is the birthplace of the Portuguese explorer Hermenegildo Capelo. Additionally, some other famous individuals, such as

Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen ( , ; 2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875) was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogue (literature), travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his literary fairy tales. Andersen's fai ...

, were briefly hosted there.

Economy

The municipality is renowned for its production of fruit and wine. In the 1990s, the joint-venture

- Ford AutoEuropa vehicle production plant opened to produce the Mk1 MPV, sold under three

marque A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...

s: Volkswagen Sharan, SEAT Alhambra and Ford Galaxy. After Ford left the joint venture, the plant continued to produce Volkswagen and SEAT models and added the Volkswagen Eos, Volkswagen Scirocco and Volkswagen T-Roc.

Notable people

* Hermenegildo Capelo (1841 in Palmela - 1917) an officer in the Portuguese Navy and an explorer, charted territory between Angola and Mozambique * Hugo José Jorge O'Neill (1874 – 1940 in Palmela) the head of the Clanaboy O'Neill dynasty * Octávio Machado (born 1949) a retired footballer and coach with 307 club caps and 19 for

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

* Ricardo Pateiro (born 1980 in Palmela) a Portuguese retired footballer with 270 club caps

References

External links