Cascais

The picturesque towns of Estoril and Cascais with their pretty little palaces overlooking the sea have been inhabited from the remotest ages.

It is known that paleolithic man lived there, and it is believed neolithic people lived in local caves 4000 years old.

There is also much evidence from the Roman period, dating from 1 AD. Villas have been excavated and inscriptions found of family names, names of the Gods they worshipped and names chosen for their sons.

Also names from the time of the Arab occupation can be found. Ibne Mucane was born in Alcabideche, and it was he who made the first literary reference to the introduction of windmills into Europe. He was an Arab poet and is remembered by a monument situated near the windmills on the road out of the village leading to the Autodrome.

Reconquering the land from the Moors in 1147, the people of Cascais dedicated their energies to fishing.

It is believed the name Cascais developed from the word "cascas", meaning "shells", probably referring to the piles of empty sea shells. This connection with the sea gave its inhabitants the chance to request and be favourably considered, for the priviledge of self-government, thus severing its previous connection with Sintra.

In 1364, King Pedro I granted the title of municipality on Cascais, but it only came into effect in 1370 when King Fernando gave the castle to Gomes Lourenço de Avelar.

From then on, Cascais became a lookout for Lisbon in the great maritime era of discovering new worlds. It was the first place the navigators saw when they returned from long and adventurous voyages seeking their homeland, and the last when they set out on voyages looking for African treasures, oriental spices, sugar and later gold from Brazil.

It was for this reason that in the time of King Manuel I during the middle of the XVI century, when Portugal´s discoveries were at their height, that Cascais was one of the first places to have a lighthouse. It was situated exactly where the Guia lighthouse is today.

The strategic position of the bay is of great importance. It was here, in 1560, that the Duke of Alba, in the service of King Filipe II of Spain, landed to take Portugal. It was King Filipe´s intention to bring the court to Lisbon and rule the two monarchies from there. Nicolau de Oliveira wrote much open praise about the amenable Cascais climate and the long life of its people.

Suffering under Hispanic rule, the people of Cascais actively participated in restoring Portugal´s independence and from 1640, they built many fortresses along the coast which are still in use today for a variety of reasons. The famous earthquake on November 1st 1755, destroyed much of Lisbon and interrupted Cascais' prosperity, reducing houses, churches and convents to ruins.

Cascais remained neutral during the Napoleonic Wars and Junot, commander of the 1st invasion, set up his headquarters in the town. In 1808, he was forced to sign the surrender. The 19th infantry regiment, under the patronship of St. Anthony, departed from the Citadel in 1810 for the Battle of Buçaco - the decisive battle in stopping Napoleon. St. Anthony´s statue is still worshipped in the Citadel.

It was in Cascais during the latter part of the XIX century, that the Royal Family first began to bathe. It was a custom which was becoming popular in Europe and Cascais was an ideal place owing to its mild climate.

Over the years, many important families have made Cascais into a cosmopolitan town, building palaces, featuring tiles and interesting art. It was during this period that Lisbon had its first public electric illuminations and the first telephone.

From the 1930s, both Cascais and Monte Estoril have supported Estoril as the flagship of Portuguese tourism. The area was initially called the Sun Coast but is now known as the Estoril Coast. New buildings have sprung up over the years to meet the ever increasing demands of the visitor. Facilities are available all the year round in Cascais for the visitor while the local population carry on with their own lives.

One of the most beautiful parts of the Estoril Coast is the countryside - a succession of hills dotted with pine trees and houses, sweeping down to the sea. Apart from the usual country side scenery, the visitor will also enjoy seeing the local villages with their typical houses and the old palatial villas along the sea front.