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32-460: Abrantes ( European Portuguese pronunciation: [ɐˈβɾɐ̃tɨʃ] ) is a municipality in the central Médio Tejo subregion of Portugal . The population as of 2011 was 39,325, in an area of 714.69 square kilometres (275.94 sq mi). The municipality includes several parishes divided by the Tagus River , which runs through the middle of the municipality. The urbanized part,

64-523: A canon . He was also one of the fifty selected as members of the Academia Real de História , founded in 1720; and in 1722 he was made chaplain to the Court. Gusmão also busied himself with other inventions, but in the meantime continued his work on his airship schemes, the idea for which he is said to have conceived while a novice at Bahia. His designs included a ship to sail in the air consisting of

96-517: A central enclave within the Portuguese territory and a transition zone between the Ribatejo , Beira Baixa and Alto Alentejo . This location allowed development of a diversified culture, influenced by many cultures around it; Sardoal and Vila de Rei , to the north; Mação and Gavião , to the east; Ponte de Sôr and Chamusca , in the south; and Constância and Tomar in the west. Abrantes

128-471: A fever, of which he died in Toledo. He wrote: Manifesto summário para os que ignoram poderse navegar pelo elemento do ar ( Short Manifesto for those who are unaware that is possible to sail through the element air , 1709); and Vários modos de esgotar sem gente as naus que fazem água ( Several ways of draining, without people, ships that leak water , 1710); some of his sermons also have been printed. In 1936,

160-462: A place contiguous to the Royal Palace, and one day, in presence of their Majesties, and an immense crowd of spectators, raised himself, by means of a fire lighted in the machine, as high as the cornice of the building; but through the negligence and want of experience of those who held the cords, the machine took an oblique direction, and, touching the cornice, burst and fell. The balloon was in

192-680: A triangular gas-filled pyramid, but he died without making progress. One account of Gusmão's work suggests that the Portuguese Inquisition forbade him to continue his aeronautic investigations and persecuted him because of them, but this is probably a later invention. It dates, however, from at least the end of the 18th century, as the following article in the London Daily Universal Register (later The Times ) of 20 October 1786, makes clear: By accounts from Lisbon we are assured, that in consequence of

224-759: Is also located along many important road and rail links throughout the country, including the Madrid-Badajoz-Lisbon railway, being at the junction with the Guarda-Abrantes line, and the Lisbon-Porto access (the A23 and Beira Baixa roadways). Abrantes commands the highway along the Tagus valley west from Belver (in the municipality of Gavião ) until Constância , occupying the crest of a hill covered with olive woods, gardens and vines; historically,

256-535: Is responsible principally for auditing the activities of the executive branch. Its members are elected by population and proportionally by civil parishes, using the same schema as the executive (by universal direct suffrage with or without political parties), but also represented by the presidents of the juntas de freguesia ( civil parish council presidents ). Though a unitary state, the Portuguese model governance has undergone periods of centralized and decentralized tendencies: Bartolomeu de Gusm%C3%A3o Gusmão

288-606: Is the Portuguese-language term for municipality , referring to the territorial subdivision in local government . In comparison, the word município ( Portuguese pronunciation: [muniˈsipiu] ) refers to the organs of State . This differentiation is still in use in Portugal and some of its former overseas provinces, but is no longer in use in Brazil following the abolition of these organs, in favour of

320-539: The Vilafrancada . In November 1862, the Santarém-Abrantes lines was opened, and by March 1868, a bridge between Abrantes and Rossio to the southern Tagus region was well underway. An active republican center, Abrantes was the place of preparatory meetings for the 5 October 1910 Revolution , which may have contributed to the village's elevation to the status of city on 14 June 1916. Abrantes lies in

352-667: The Convention of Cintra (22 August 1808) the town was returned to the Portuguese. During the reign of Joseph I (1750–1777) the village became the center of the silk industry, which prospered until 1800, designated the Academia Tubuciana . In 1820, Abrantes supported the Liberal Revolution and celebrated the 1822 Constitution; although Miguel of Portugal did find many supporters in the municipality, no outright manifestation of support occurred in light of

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384-646: The Câmara Municipal ( Municipal Chamber ), its executive organ and by the Assembleia Municipal ( Municipal Assembly ), its deliberative body. The Câmara is the executive body that is charged with governing the territory and policies of the region. Owing to population, the municipal chamber can comprise a number of alderman (normally between 5 and 17) elected by lists, using direct, universal suffragan vote, based with or without political parties. The municipal assembly, sometimes parliament ,

416-724: The Abrantinos were one of the first to support the Lisboete movement of 1383, among them Fernando Álvares de Almeida, protector of the Casa de Abrantes. King Manuel stayed in Abrantes for a long period; by 1510 he conceded a new foral to the town; and his children, the Infantes Fernando and Luís were born in Abrantes. During the 16th century, Abrantes and its religious parish was one of the largest and more populous lands in

448-512: The French prefecture system. It is similar to borough and council . After the civil parish ( Portuguese : freguesias ), the Portuguese concelho is the most stable territorial subdivision within the country, with over 900 years of history. Founded in the royal charters attributed to parcels and territorial enclaves, in order to establish a presence by the Crown, rather than personal fiefdoms of

480-630: The Kingdom, with 3,436 inhabitants, four convents and 13 chapels or churches within its frontiers. In 1581, in his move to Tomar , Philip I of Portugal stopped in Abrantes for several days, and during his reign was responsible for the reconstruction of Abrantes' municipal buildings. It was the seat of Portuguese marquesses, one of which was an early patron of the Brazilian-born versatile scientist, naturalist and pioneering inventor-aeronaut Bartholomeu Lourenço de Gusmão . During 1640, Abrantes

512-509: The cold months; and days being warm to hot, with an average yearly high of 23.3 °C (73.9 °F). Administratively, the municipality is divided into 13 civil parishes ( Portuguese : freguesias ), responsible for local area development and administration of services: It has grown dramatically since the early 20th century: from a base population of 7,255 in 1900, it had more than 41,000 inhabitants in 2001. Concelho Concelho ( Portuguese pronunciation: [kõˈseʎu] )

544-462: The experiments made there with the Montgolfier balloon, the literati of Portugal had been incited to make numerous researches on the subject; in consequence of which they pretend that the honour of the invention is due to Portugal. They say that in 1720, a Brazilian Jesuit, named Bartholomew Gusmao, possessed of abilities, imagination, and address, by permission of John V. fabricated a balloon in

576-665: The fact, had made enquiries at the Carmelite monastery, where Gusmao had a brother, who had preserved some of his manuscripts on the manner of constructing aerostatic machines. Various living persons affirm that they were present at the Jesuit's experiments, and that he received the surname of Voador , or Flying-man. Contemporary documents do attest that information was laid before the Inquisition against Gusmão, but on quite another charge. The inventor fled to Spain and fell ill of

608-430: The form of a bird with a tail and wings. The inventor proposed to make new experiments, but, chagrined at the raillery of the common people, who called him wizzard, and terrified by the Inquisition, he took the advice of his friends, burned his manuscripts, disguised himself, and fled to Spain, where he soon after died in an hospital. They add, that several learned men, French and English, who had been at Lisbon to verify

640-680: The fortified town has been regarded as an important military position. The municipality is also center of two major hydrological resources: the Tagus River , which cross the territory for 30 kilometers and the Albufeira from Castelo do Bode . Abrantes has a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Its location in the Tagus floodplain enables very high diurnal temperature variations ; making nights cool, with an average yearly low of 8.7 °C (47.7 °F), and dropping below 0 °C (32 °F) 31 days on average during

672-399: The ideas of Francesco Lana de Terzi , S.J., Gusmão wanted to spread a huge sail over a boat-like body like the cover of a transport wagon; the boat itself was to contain tubes through which, when there was no wind, air would be blown into the sail by means of bellows. The vessel was to be propelled by the agency of magnets which were to be encased in two hollow metal balls. The public test of

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704-582: The jurisdiction of the Castilian grand master of Santiago de Compostela Order in Uclés . It received its municipal foral in 1179, in compensation for its resistance against the Moroccan Abem Jacob. Its creation in 1179, was based on the concelhos perfeitos ("perfect municipality") model; they were formed on the specific day that settlers were invited to populate them; the administrative regime,

736-534: The location the conditions necessary to attract colonists, colonization that, it seems, not to have been easy... On 24 April 1281, King Dinis of Portugal , conceded the ownership of Abrantes to Queen Elizabeth of Portugal . Afonso IV of Portugal transferred the title of the religious parish to the Knights Hospitaller , in 1327, and granted Abrantes to Leonor Teles . Partners of the Master of Avis,

768-512: The machine, which was set for 24 June 1709, did not take place. It is known that Gusmão was working on this principle at the public exhibition he gave before the Court on 8 August 1709, in the hall of the Casa da Índia in Lisbon, when he propelled a small balloon to the roof using combustion from a flame. The king rewarded the inventor by appointing him to a professorship at Coimbra and made him

800-423: The mount, situated to the north of the Tagus, which served as a natural frontier and protected it from incursions; the Tagus which was an important source of richness (water, fish, gold, navigation, etc.), a mount situated in the confluence and transition of territories, crossroads of trails between south and norther, free of overflows, with persistent fog, cleansed of good aires, all these were conditions that,...gave

832-467: The nobility and aristocracy. This municipal institution changed throughout history: many were abolished and reconstituted based on the political necessity; first they were subject to the specifics of each charter (which varied based on conditions and circumstances), and then based on national laws established during the Liberal era. Today, the municipalities are governed by the municípios , constituted by

864-461: The organization of the municipal authority and geographic distribution were planned as part of system of populating uninhabited lands, and extending the political influence of the Kingdom. Its geography contributed to the colonization: Zone of permanent conflicts, where the Reconquista came to pontual conclusion, the colonization of Monte Abrantino was facilitated by the geographic situation of

896-536: The parish of Abrantes (São Vicente e São João) e Alferrarede , located on the north bank of the Tagus, has about 17,000 residents. The Celts are believed to have established the first settlement in Abrantes around 300 BC. The name is derived from Latin Aurantes , perhaps referring to deposits of alluvial gold (Latin: aurum ) along the Tagus. Similarly, Roman mosaics, coins, the remains of ancient aqueducts, as well as other antiquities, have been discovered in

928-418: The title of Doctor of Canon Law (related to Theology). He is said to have had a remarkable memory and a great command of languages. In 1709, he presented a petition to King João V of Portugal , seeking royal favour for his invention of an airship, in which he expressed the greatest confidence. The contents of this petition have been preserved, together with a picture and description of his airship . Developing

960-630: The vicinity of Abrantes. The village of Abrantes and the Abrantes Castle were conquered from the Moors by Afonso I of Portugal in 1148. After 1172, Abrantes was a military outpost, under the dominion of the Order of Saint James of Compostela . In 1173, the region, including its castle , were donated to the Order of Saint James of the Sword . Around 1290, Pope Nicholas IV released this Order from

992-666: Was born at Santos , then part of the Portuguese colony of Brazil . He began his novitiate in the Society of Jesus at Bahia when he was about fifteen years old, but left the order in 1701. He went to Portugal and found a patron at Lisbon in the person of the Marquis of Abrantes . He completed his course of study at the University of Coimbra , devoting his attention principally to philology and mathematics , but received

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1024-485: Was one of the first lands to declare their support for John IV of Portugal . From the 17th and 18th centuries onwards, its ancient military importance was confirmed, as it was used by Portuguese and foreign armies to garrison or concentrate their forces. The village of Abrantes was captured on 24 November 1807 by French general Jean-Andoche Junot , who was awarded a ducal title for his victory by Napoleon I in 1808, and used as base for further marshaling of French forces. In

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