Santarem

Santarem, the capital of the district of Santarem, Portugal; on the right bank of the river Tagus, 5r m. by rail N.E. of Lisbon. Pop. (1900) 8628. The older part of the city is built on high ground overlooking the Tagus; it contains the ruined castle of Alcagova, famous in the middle ages as a royal residence, and is partly enclosed by ruined walls. Below is Ribeira de Santarem, a comparatively modern river-port, and on the opposite bank is Almeirim, a village which was also a royal residence until 1755, when it was almost entirely destroyed by earthquake. Santarem has some trade in fish and agricultural produce, including wine and olive oil. Its chief buildings are an ecclesiastical seminary, the largest in Portugal; the late Gothic church of the Convento da Graga, which contains the tomb of Pedro Alvares Cabral, the first Portuguese to visit South America (1502); the Igreja do Milagro, an early Renaissance church; the chapel of Santa Rita, with a painting by Ignatius Xavier, who was born here in 1724; the church of Santa Maria, built in 1244, but with Manoellian additions made early in the 16th century; the secularized 13thcentury church of San Francisco; the church of Sao Joao, which has a Moorish minaret for a belfry, and has been converted into an archaeological museum; and the church of Santa Iria (St Irene), from which the name of the city is derived. There is a fine bridge across the Tagus.

Santarem is the Roman Scallabis, renamed Praesidium Julium  by Julius Caesar. From its position in the Tagus valley it became an important fortress during the wars between the Moors, Portuguese and Spaniards. Alphonso VI. of Castile first took it from the Moors in 1093, but it was recaptured and occupied by them until 1147, when Alphonso I. of Portugal recovered it. The Almohades endeavoured to win it back in 1184, but were defeated. At Santarem King Diniz died in 1325; the murderers of Inez de Castro were executed in 1357; and Prince Alphonso, only son of John II., was drowned in 1491. Here the 15thcentury navigator John of Santarem was born, and here the Cardinal-King Henry (1512-1580)1580) was born, abdicated and died. The Miguelites were defeated here in 1834 (see Portugal: History). In 1868 Santarem was raised to the rank of a city.

The administrative district of Santarem coincides with the eastern part of the ancient province of Estremadura; pop. (1900) 283,154; area 2555 sq. M.