Palaces and forts of Oeiras

1 brewery · 1 venue

Oeiras is a town on the Tagus estuary in the Lisbon district, and its story begins long before the town itself. Paleolithic people already sought food here and used the Gruta da Laje cave, and around 2800 BC the fortified Chalcolithic settlement of Castro de Leceia rose with houses and a defensive wall. Roman traces remain too, among them the mosaic in Rua das Alcássimas in the historic centre and a Roman bridge, while place names such as Alcássimas, Algés and Quinta da Moura recall the Moorish period. From the 16th to the 18th centuries forts were built along the shore west of the Tower of Belém to guard the mouth of the Tagus, among them the Forte da Barra and the Forte do Bugio. By royal charter of 7 June 1759, King José I granted these lands to his minister Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, who became the first Count of Oeiras and later the Marquis of Pombal; Oeiras was made a town and, a month later, the seat of a new municipality, and 7 June is still the municipal holiday. The minister's country house, the Palace of the Marquis of Pombal, gained momentum after he became Count of Oeiras. Traditionally credited to the Hungarian-born architect Carlos Mardel, although not all authors agree, it is a National Monument together with its garden, fishing house and cascade. Look for the Cascata dos Poetas, with sculptures of Homer, Virgil, Camões and Tasso, the three-terraced garden by the lake and fishing house, and the Carvalho family's coat of arms throughout. In 1770 the town also hosted the first agricultural and industrial fair held in Portugal.

Craft beer in Oeiras is a rare find along this stretch of the Tagus estuary. Keep an eye out for something local after a walk through the palace gardens and the historic centre.