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| Charmingly situated on the banks of the River Séquia on the southeastern coast, Tavira is considered by many to be the most beautiful city in the Algarve. It is also one of the oldest, boasting a pedigree which stretches back to the ancient pre-Roman settlement of Balsa (the ruins lie nearby). |
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| By the time of the arrival of the first Roman troops, Balsa was a already a flourishing market town. The Romans developed it further on account of its strategic position and, to improve access, they built the beautiful bridge, the "Ponte Romana", which today links the two parts of the city of Tavira separated by the river. But is it the River Séquia or the River Gilão? For, here, a confusion arises as, curiously, the river undergoes a change of name when it passes beneath the Ponte Romana. Thereafter, as if trying to forget its humble mountain origins, the river slips gently away to the sea under the name of "Gilão". |
| Local tradition has it that this strange metamorphosis is brought about by the sheer number of churches in Tavira, which, not content with baptising the population, also baptise the river! |
| Be that as it may, it does appear that practically every religious denomination in Portugal has its own pied á terre at Tavira. The city possesses no less than 37 churches, many of which are connected to monasteries or convents of Franciscans, or Cistercians, or Carmelites, or Brothers of St Lazarus etc...etc., to name but a few. From the ramparts of the old Moorish castle, which crowns the high ground at the centre of the city, one cannot fail to be impressed by the number of luminous white facades, spires, domes, and towers that surround one. |
| It is a majestic sight. Furthermore, whatever the reasons for this proliferation of pious architecture (and nobody seems quite sure what they are), quantity has in no way been substituted for quality. Many of these churches are beautifully constructed and their interiors often display a sumptuous decorative style presenting a panoply of quite exquisite artistry, represented in frescoes, paintings, wood-carvings, sculptures, tile and gilt work. |
| Unfortunately, along with so many other areas of southern Portugal, Tavira suffered tragically from the events of the morning of 1st November 1755. The earthquake that just about levelled Lisbon, also destroyed much of Tavira's rich architectural heritage and so, most of the churches date from the city's reconstruction in the latter 18th century. Nevertheless some, such as Santa Maria do Castelo are sensitive restorations of the original buildings and follow quite closely the old styles and layouts. |
| Regally positioned next to the castle, Santa Maria is perhaps the principal, or at any rate the most visible, of the city's churches. Built on the site of the old Arabic mosque, its foundation is owed to the bloodthirsty events surrounding the 1238 conquest of Tavira from the Moors at the height of the Reconquista. According to the historical sources, Paio Perres Correia, great champion of the Northern Christians and Master of the Knights of São Tiago (St. James) took the city with great savagery, subjecting it to a devastating sack, destroying a good deal of the buildings and butchering the inhabitants by the thousand. |
Such brutality was, it is said, Correia's revenge for the slaughter of seven of his knights, a short time previously, who, having gone hunting in the environs of Tavira, were ambushed and killed by a detachment of Taviran Moors.
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| In order to honour the seven slain knights, Correia ordered a Christian temple built on the site of the city's principal mosque and dedicated it to the Virgin; a fitting resting place for these martyrs to the Reconquista. Furthermore, in this violent episode, lay Correia's own vowed attachment to the city, for in his Will, Correia set out his wish that his final resting place be at the side of his seven fallen comrades. |
| Accordingly, when Correia died at the Monastery of Velêz, in Spain, his body was transported to Santa Maria at Tavira and interred next to the main altar. But, apparently, Correia was not content to rest quietly in his grave. In 1337, when Afonso XI of Castile attacked but failed to conquer Tavira, a popular story was circulated that Correia and his knights had miraculously appeared in the city's defence, ultimately driving back the Castillian aggressor and saving the population. |
| When news of this "miracle" spread, substantial numbers of pilgrims flocked to Tavira to pay homage and to be healed at the gravesides of Correia and his men. One can still view the tombs of the Master of São Tiago and his seven knights in the main chapel. And for those who are curious to know what Correia looked like, it is said that the stone head, carved into the side of the Town Hall building (in the Praça da Republica) is a life-size representation of the man himself, set at a height corresponding to his actual height in life (if true, he must have been a gigantic figure). |
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Algarve Guide
