YOU ARE MOST WELCOME INTO THIS CHARMING VALLEY. LOCATED 18 MILES FROM LISBON AND OCCUPYING AN AREA OF AROUND 30 SQUARE MILES, THE MUNICIPALITY OF ARRUDA DOS VINHOS REVEALS AN UNIQUE HISTORIC, ARTISTIC, NATURAL AND SCENIC LANDSCAPE.
A document ordered drawn in 1172 by Afonso Henriques, Portugal’s first King, where he donates the village of Arruda to the Order of Saint James, seems to be the oldest official document ever found that attests to the legal ‘foundation’ of the Municipality.
When King Manuel I had new Charters drawn up, he gave Arruda its own Town Charter on January 15th, 1517. It was also during his Kingdom – when the King sought refuge at Arruda, seeking shelter from a bout of Black Plague that assailed Lisbon – that the town citing changed from Saint Mary of Arruda to Our Lady of Salvation; he also had the Church rebuilt, a fact that would only take place after his death, between 1525 and 1531.
Arruda dos Vinhos has witnessed several important events of Portugal’s History, namely the resistance to the third French Invasion of Portugal, when the local population participated in the construction of the military structures that would create the Torres Defence Lines, while also adopting the “scorched earth” tactic. To this day, one can still observe throughout the region the ruins of several of such National Monuments, including those of the Cego, Carvalha and Paço Fortresses.
The contrasting scenery will enthral Nature lovers, that can cross the region on foot, mountain bike or paragliding, while practicing ‘geocaching’, visiting the Torres Defence Lines Circuit or contemplating the view from the Municipality’s many panoramic lookouts.
Once famous for a local Woman Healer, the rural and urban worlds have always mingled well in Arruda. Discover the vast cultural heritage that the four parishes (of Arruda dos Vinhos, Arranhó, Cardosas and S. Tiago dos Velhos) have to offer, and visit the Parish Churches and the 16th Century Public Fountain. A tour of Arruda dos Vinhos wouldn’t be completed without a passage by the Morgado’s Cultural Centre, where one can travel back in time, crossing the old gardens and the vast ballrooms of this 17th Century manor house, dedicated nowadays to a new role as the Municipal Library “Irene Lisboa”.
Let yourself be carried away by the traditional flavours of the gastronomy and by the unique nectars of this wine region, renown both inside and outside Portugal.
Perfect occasions for such outings include the high moments of the Eighteen Century Market, during the month of July, the Snail Festival and the centuries-old Fair honouring Our Lady of Salvation, dedicated to the bullfighting tradition, in August, or the inevitable Wine and Grape Fair, in early November.
