933 



ESTREMADURA. 



ESTREMADURA. 



051 



JO. T, iij'dlo, 70 miles N.E. from Badajoz, is situated oil a hill 

 of granite, which has been protruded through the slate strata. The 

 ancient city occupies the highest part, and is now chiefly used as a 

 cemetery. The modern town is built lower down on the eastern side. 

 The northern and western sides are rugged and precipitous. The 

 upper town commands the surrounding plain. It is encircled by a 

 wall with flanking towers of granite, and at the northern extremity is 

 a castle, on the site of the ancient Roman fortress. The upper town 

 was much injured by the French, but there are still some very 

 interesting objects in it. The lower town contains a picturesque 

 plaza, in which is the church of San Martin, with some curious tombs, 

 the Casa de Ayuntamiento, or town-hall, the vast palace of the Duke 

 of San Carlos, which was never finished, and other buildings indicative 

 of the former grandeur of the city. The streets are narrow and ill- 

 paved, and the whole place looks poverty-stricken. The population 

 in 1845 was 5212 : they are mostly engaged in rural occupations, the 

 only manufacture worth mention being that of earthenware. Trujillo 

 was the birth-place of Pizarro. Valencia de Alcantara, 43 miles 

 N.X.W. from Badajoz, is a fortified town on an eminence near the 

 frontier of Portugal. It contains a citadel and barracks, and has 

 manufactures of leather, hats, and coarse cloths : population, 4700. 



(Mi&ano, Diccionario Geoyrajico ; Madoz, Diccionario de Espana ; 

 Ford, Handbook of Spain.) 



ESTREMADURA, a province of Portugal, situated between 

 38 s 6' and 40" 15' N. lat., 7" 43' and 9 32' W. long., is bounded 

 N. by Beira, S. by Alerntejo, E. by Beira and Alemtejo, and W. by 

 the Atlantic Ocean. The greatest length north to south is about 135 

 miles; the greatest width east to west is about 80 miles ; but the 

 ('nil ia very irregular, and some parts are less than half this width. 

 The area is 7242 square miles. The population in 1850 waa 748,461. 

 The province is divided into three districts, as follows : 



Leiria comprises the northern part of the province, Sautarem the 

 central part, and Lisbon the southern part. 



The three districts are subdivided into 25 comarcaa, or judiciary 

 divisions, 78 concelhos, or communal divisions, and 473 parishes, aa 

 follows : 



Surface. The mountain-range which in the province of Beira is 

 called the Serra de Estrella, enters Estremadura, where it is named 

 the Serra de Louzao, Serra do Junto, and Serra de Baragueda. It 

 ; the province in a direction from north-north-east to south- 

 south-west, and terminates on the coast between Lisbon and Torres 

 Vedras, where it fills up nearly all the country between the Tagus 

 and the pea. The central rid^e, or Serra do Junto, has an elevation 

 of about 2300 feet above the sea. Several offsets or spurs extend from 

 it on both sides. Between Torres Vedras and Lisbon, .1 distance of 

 about 28 miles, the ridges have a general direction from east to west ; 

 and along the northern slopes of three of the principal ridges the 

 Duke of Wellington, then Sir Arthur Wellesley, constructed the series 

 of defensive works called the ' Lines of Torres Vedras.' The great 

 mass of the Monte Junto advances directly towards the centre of the 

 first of these ridges, but stopping short at a few miles distance, it sends 

 a rugged offset in a slanting direction towards the heights of Torres 

 Vedras, from which it is only divided by a deep defile. This offset is 

 the Serra de Baragueda. The coast as far as Peniche, or about 50 miles 

 north of the mouth of the Tagus, consists of rocky cliffs, the Cabo da 

 Roca, opposite Lisbon, being 1920 feet high. From Peniche to the 

 mouth of the Mondego the coast is mostly low, and the country for 

 lome distance inland is flat, sandy, and barren, or covered with 

 forests of pines. The valley of the Lis however, in which Leiria is 

 situated, is fruitful and cultivated, and the sides of the hills are covered 

 with plantations of olive-trees. The valley of the Zezere and of the 

 western side of the Tagus, especially about Thomar and Santarem, is 

 very fertile, has good pasture-laud, and is also planted with vines, 

 olive-trees, and fruit-trees. The country east of the Tagus is mostly 

 low and flat, and in several places unhealthy ; but the ground rises 

 towards Alemtejo, from which province several ranges of hills enter 

 Estremadura. One of these ranges extends from Evora past Setubal, 

 and terminates at Cape Espichel in the Serra de Arrabida, which has 

 an elevation of 1740 feet. 



Jlirert. -The Tagus enters Estremadura about 15 miles above 

 Abrantcs, and has a western course till it receives the Zezere, when it 



takes a south-south-west diroctioii, and enters the sea below Lisbon. 

 [TAQUS.] The Zezere, a large and rapid river flowing along the south- 

 eastern base of the Serra de Estrella, enters Estremadura, and flowing 

 first along the eastern base of the Serra de Louzao, takes afterwards 

 a southern course through the plains of Thomar, aud enters the Tagus 

 below Punhete. The other rivers which enter the Tagus in this 

 province are all small. On the right, or north-western bank, the only 

 river of importance is the Azembuja, called also the Rio Mayor, which 

 flows round the foot of the heights of Santarem, aud passing the small 

 town of Cartaxo, enters the Tagus about 30 miles above Lisbon. The 

 chief affluents of the Tagus on the left bank are the Zatas aud the 

 Almansor ; both flow from Alemtejo, and enter the river close together 

 by the eastern of the two branches into which it divides above Lisbon. 

 Several small rivers and streams enter the sea from the north-western 

 slopes of the great central mountain-range. The Lis flows by Batalha, 

 receives the Lena below Leiria, and enters the sea about 20 miles 

 south of the mouth of the Mondego. The Alcoa, joined by the Ba9a, 

 enters the sea below Alcoba9a. The Arnoya passes by Obidos, and 

 falls into the sea-lagoon of Obidos. The Marceira has a very tortuous 

 course past Vimiera and Mareeira. The Zizambre passes in front of 

 Torres Vedras, and flows west to the sea, through the ravine which 

 separates the Serra de Baragueda from the ridge of Torres Vedras. 

 The two chief rivers of Estremadura south of the Tagus are the 

 Maroteca and the Sado, or Sadao, both of which flow from Alemtejo, 

 and enter the sea by the Bay of Setubal. 



Climate and Productions. The climate of Estremadura is in most 

 parts very salubrious. The breezes from the sea and the mountains 

 temper the air in summer, and the winters are very mild. The soil 

 is generally fertile, but some parts are sandy and swampy. Wheat, 

 barley, and maize are cultivated, but wheat and flour to some extent 

 are imported. Legumes and vegetables are produced in abundance. 

 Some of the wines are much esteemed. Olive-oil, chestnuts, oranges, 

 lemons, aud other fruits are grown in large quantities. Cattle and 

 sheep are not numerous, but large numbers of swine are fed on the 

 produce of the woods. Game is plentiful in the mountains, and fish 

 on the coast and in the rivers. There are several minerals in the 

 mountains, but none are wrought to any extent. Tbe manufactures 

 arc unimportant. 



Towns. The city of Lisbon (LisboS) is the capital of the kingdom 

 of Portugal, of the province of Estremadura, and of the district of 

 Lisbon. [LISBON.] Abrantes, SO miles N.N.E. from Lisbon, is situated 

 on the northern bank of the Tagus. The town occupies an eminence, 

 aud is surrounded by old walls, outside of which are gardens and 

 plantations of olive-trees. The Tagus is navigable by small vessels as 

 far as Abrantes, which is by this means the medium of an active 

 trading intercourse between Lisbon and the provinces of Beira and 

 Alemtejo. Large quantities of grain, oil, aud fruits are sent down the 

 river to the Lisbon market. The town contains four churches : popu- 

 lation, 5000. Alcocer do Sal, 50 miles S.E. from Lisbon, stands on 

 the northern bank of the Sado. It is defended by a castle on a rocky 

 height. The neighbourhood is marshy, and large quantities of salt 

 are made and exported : population, 2400. Alcobaca, 63 miles N. 

 from Lisbon, is situated at the confluence of the Ba9a with the Alcoa, 

 whence the name. The town is small, but contains five churches, one of 

 which belongs to a Benedictine monastery which was one of the richest 

 aud most magnificent in Portugal. Several of the kings of Portugal 

 were buried in it, and have monuments of beautiful workmanship : 

 population, 2000. Aldea Galeya (the Galliciau Village) is situated at 

 the bottom of a bay on the southern side of the Tagus, nearly opposite 

 to Lisbon, and about 10 miles distant. It is a ferry-station on tiie 

 route to Evora and Badajoz: population, 4000. Alenquer, 27 miles 

 N. by E. from Lisbon, stands on the north bank of the river Aleuquer, 

 a small tributary of the Tagus. It contains five churches and an 

 hospital, and has large paper-mills : population, 3200. Alhandra, 18 

 miles N.N.E. from Lisbon, is situated on the western bank of the 

 Tagus, and has a small port : population, 1800, who are chiefly em- 

 ployedin fishing, and in tile and brick works. Almada, 0' miles S.S.W. 

 from Lisbon, stands on the south shore of the actuary of the Tagus. 

 It has an old castle and a fort to defend the entrance of the river, atid 

 contains extensive wine-stores : population, 4000. Batalha, 7 miles 

 S.S.W. from Leiria, is a small town, with a handsome convent and 

 church of gothic architecture. It was founded by Joao I., king of 

 Portugal, in commemoration of the battle of Aljubarota, fought in 

 August 1385, when the Castilians were defeated with great slaughter : 

 population, 1500. Caldas, 50 miles N. from Lisbon, is remarkable for 

 its sulphur-baths, royal and public gardens, and a fountain of very 

 fine workmanship : population, 1500. Chamusca, 12 miles N.E. from 

 Santarem, is situated near the eastern bank of the Tagus : population, 

 3200. Good red wine is produced in the vicinity. Cintra, 15 miles 

 W.N.W. from Lisbon, is situated near the northern base of the Serra 

 de Cintra, which terminates at the lofty Cabo da Uoca. The town 

 is small, containing only about 1000 inhabitants, but is celebrated for 

 the picturesque beauty of the country in which it is situated, and the 

 delicious climate. The La Pena convent, now a royal palace, crowns 

 the highest summit of the mountain, the ruins of an ancient Moorish 

 castle occupy another lofty ridge, aud numerous villas are scattered 

 about on the riehly-wooded sides of the hill. The view extends to 

 the sea down the beautiful valley in which the small town of Gotham 



