View source for Tavira

{{other uses|Tavira (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox Portuguese subdivision
|type            = municipality
|official_name   = City of Tavira
|image_skyline   = Vista_Tavira.jpg
|image_caption   = General view of Tavira
|image_flag      = Pt-tvr1.png
|flag_border     = no
|image_shield    = TVR.png
|image_map       = LocalTavira.svg
|coordinates     = {{coord|37|07|N|7|39|W|type:adm1st_region:PT_dim:100000|display=inline,title}}
|region          = [[Algarve]]
|CIM             = [[Algarve]]
|district        = [[Faro District|Faro]]
|parishes        = [[#Parishes|6]]
|leader_party    = [[Socialist Party (Portugal)|PS]]
|leader_name     = Ana Paula Martins
|area_total_km2  = 606.97
|population_total= 26167
|population_as_of= 2011
|postal_code     = 
|area_code       = 
|website         = [http://www.cm-tavira.pt/ www.cm-tavira.pt/]
}}
'''Tavira''' ({{IPA|pt|tɐˈviɾɐ|-|Pt-pt Tavira FF.ogg}}), officially the '''City of Tavira''' ({{langx|pt|Cidade de Tavira}}), is a Portuguese town and municipality, capital of the ''Costa do Acantilado'', situated in the east of the [[Algarve]] on the south coast of [[Portugal]].<ref>Detail Regional Map, Algarve- Southern Portugal, {{ISBN|3-8297-6235-6}}</ref> It is {{convert|28|km|0|abbr=off}} east of [[Faro, Portugal|Faro]] and {{convert|75|km|0|abbr=off}} west of [[Huelva]] across the river [[Guadiana]] into Spain. The [[Gilão River]] meets the Atlantic Ocean in Tavira. The population in 2011 was 26,167,<ref>[http://www.ine.pt/xportal/xmain?xlang=en&xpid=INE&xpgid=ine_indicadores&indOcorrCod=0005889&contexto=pi&selTab=tab0 Instituto Nacional de Estatística]</ref> in an area of 606.97&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>.<ref name=dgt>{{Cite web |url=http://www.dgterritorio.pt/cartografia_e_geodesia/cartografia/carta_administrativa_oficial_de_portugal_caop_/caop__download_/carta_administrativa_oficial_de_portugal___versao_2017__em_vigor_/ |title=Áreas das freguesias, concelhos, distritos e país |access-date=2018-11-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181105172426/http://www.dgterritorio.pt/cartografia_e_geodesia/cartografia/carta_administrativa_oficial_de_portugal_caop_/caop__download_/carta_administrativa_oficial_de_portugal___versao_2017__em_vigor_/ |archive-date=2018-11-05 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Tavira is the Portuguese representative community for the inscription of the [[Mediterranean diet|Mediterranean Diet]] as an [[UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists|Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of UNESCO]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Portugal's Representative Community {{!}} Dieta mediterrânica|url=http://dietamediterranica.net/?q=en/node/227|access-date=2021-05-15|website=dietamediterranica.net}}</ref>

==History==

===Bronze Age to the Roman Empire===
[[File:Tavira_-_Roman_Bridge.jpg|thumb|left|Tavira medieval bridge.]]
Tavira's origins date back to the late [[Bronze Age]] (1,000-800 BC).<ref>Pappa, Eleftheria (2012) "[https://www.academia.edu/1604554/Pappa_E._2012._Retracting_the_divisions_Fresh_perspectives_on_Phoenician_settlement_in_Iberia_from_Tavira_Portugal Retracting the divisions? Fresh perspectives on Phoenician settlement in Iberia from Tavira, Portugal.]" ''[http://tijdschrift.mediterrane-archeologie.nl/english/ TMA (Tijdschrift voor Mediterrane Archeologie / Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology)]'' [http://tijdschrift.mediterrane-archeologie.nl/tma4748/ vol. 47]: 7-13</ref> In the 8th century BC it became one of the first [[Phoenicia]]n settlements in the [[Iberian Peninsula|Iberian West]]. The Phoenicians created a colonial urban center here with massive walls, at least one sanctuary, two harbours and a regular urban structure which lasted until the end of 6th century BC, when the location was abandoned in favour of a near-by site, probably due to the prpgressive progradation of the delta where it was located. Excavations led by Maria Maia, Manuel Maia andLuís Fraga da Silva brought to light part of a casemate fortification wall, ritual deposits and urban features pertaining to the settlememt on the hill of Santa Maria. The sanctuary deposits of Pits 2 and 3 pertaining to the sanctuary have been published by Eleftheria Pappa.

It has been claimed that the original name of Tavira, Balsa, derives from a Phoenician storm god:Baal Saphon, but other Phoenician etymologies have also been suggestes. To the Romans it was known as ''[[Balsa (Roman town)|Balsa]]''.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Maria Giulia |first=Amadasi Guzzo |author-link=Maria Giulia Amadasi Guzzo |last2=José-Ángel |first2=Zamora Lopez |author-link2=José Ángel Zamora López |date=2008 |title=Un ostrakon phénicien de Tavira (Portugal) |url=https://www.academia.edu/499993/Un_ostrakon_ph%C3%A9nicien_de_Tavira_Portugal_A_Phoenician_ostracon_from_Tavira_Portugal_ |journal=Vicino Oriente |volume=14 |issue= |page=231 |pages=}}</ref>

After laying abandoned for a century, it was revived and became an even larger settlement during the so-called [[Tartessos|Tartessian]] Period of Tavira, was again abandoned by the end of the 4th century BC. Another urban center emerged at nearby ''Cerro do Cavaco'', a fortified hill occupied until the time of Emperor [[Augustus]].

===The Roman Empire to the Moorish Conquest===
During the time of Caesar, the [[Roman Empire|Romans]] created a new port, some {{convert|7|km|0|abbr=off}} from Tavira, named Balsa. 
Balsa became a big town, in fact much bigger than Tavira, that grew, prospered and decayed in parallel with the Roman Empire. When the [[Moors]] conquered Iberia, in the 8th century, Balsa was already extinct as a town.

Under Roman rule, Tavira was a secondary passing place on the important road between [[Balsa (Roman town)|Balsa]] and Baesuris (today [[Castro Marim]]).

===Moorish Rule===
[[File:Tavira Igreja Santiago-1-D.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Santiago church]]
The Moorish occupation of Tavira between the 8th and 13th centuries left its mark on the agriculture, architecture and culture of the area. That influence can still be seen in Tavira today with its whitewashed buildings, Moorish style doors and rooftops. The [[Castle of Tavira|Tavira Castle]], two mosques and palaces were built by the Moors. The impressive seven arched "Roman bridge" is now not considered to be Roman after a recent archaeological survey, but originates from a 12th-century Moorish bridge. This was a good time economically for Tavira, which established itself as an important port for sailors and fishermen. The area remained rural until the 11th century when Moorish Tavira (from the Arabic Tabira, "the hidden") grew rapidly, becoming one of the important towns of the then [[Al'Garb Al'Andalus|Gharb al-Andalus]] (the west), today's Algarve.

===The Reconquista===
{{See also|Portuguese Conquest of Algarve}}
In 1242 [[Don (honorific)|Dom]] [[Paio Peres Correia]] took Tavira back from the Moors in a bloody conflict of retaliation after seven of his principal Knights were killed during a period of truce. Dom Paio's Christian troops decimated most of Tavira's population and the few survivors were kept in a tiny quarter known as "Mouraria".
[[File:Efigie na esquina norte do Município de Tavira.jpg|thumb|Supposed depiction of D. [[Paio Peres Correia]], the city conqueror, on the corner of City Hall.]]

[[File:BarcoPescaTavira.JPG|thumb|right|220px|Fishing boat in Tavira]]

===The 1755 earthquake===
{{main|1755 Lisbon earthquake}}
In the 18th century, the port on its river was of considerable importance for shipping produce such as salt, dried fish and wine. 
Like most of the Algarve, its buildings were virtually all destroyed by the earthquake of 1755. 
This earthquake is thought to have reached 8.5–9.0 on the moment magnitude scale and caused extensive damage throughout the Algarve due to high intensity shaking (XI (''Extreme'') on the Mercalli intensity scale) and tsunamis.

The earthquake is referred to as the Lisbon earthquake due to its terrible effects on the capital city, although the epicentre was some {{convert|200|km|0|abbr=on}} west-southwest of [[Cape St. Vincent]] in the Algarve region.

==Demographics==

{| class = wikitable
! colspan="11" | Pop. Tavira Municipality (1801–2011)
|- bgcolor="#C0C0C0"
| align="center" | 1801 
| align="center" | 1849 
| align="center" | 1900 
| align="center" | 1930
| align="center" | 1940
| align="center" | 1960
| align="center" | 1981
| align="center" | 1991
| align="center" | 2001
| align="center" | 2008
| align="center" | 2011
|-
| align="center" | 10 557
| align="center" | 14 162
| align="center" | 25 392
| align="center" | 27 786
| align="center" | 28 920
| align="center" | 27 798
| align="center" | 24 615
| align="center" | 24 857
| align="center" | 24 997
| align="center" | 25 394
| align="center" | 26 167
|}

==Tavira today==
{{wide image|Tavira 360 Panorama.jpg|1400px|align-cap=center|Panoramic view of Tavira, seen from the [[Castle of Tavira|Castle]]}}
[[File:Convent in Tavira September 2019.jpg|thumb|Pousada Convento de Tavira, now a hotel; the church was converted to a room that is a venue for various events]]

The city has since been rebuilt with many fine 18th-century buildings along with its 37 churches. A bridge links the two parts of the town across the [[River Gilão]].
The church of Santa Maria do Castelo, built on the ruins of a mosque, holds the tombs of Dom Paio Peres Correia and his knights.
The church dates back to the 13th century, with the clock tower having been recreated from what was once a minaret. A bust of Dom Paio who died in Tavira in 1275, can be seen on the corner of the town hall.

At one time fishing was the area's primary industry but that declined, partly due to the changing migration patterns of [[tuna]] fish and advancing silt in the river Gilão.<ref>https://wanderingportugal.com/maps/14/algarve+map, Algarve Cities and Attractions Map</ref><ref>http://www.ealgarve.com/destinations/tavira/, Tavira</ref>
[[File:Historic centre of Tavira.jpg|thumb|Historic centre of Tavira, 2019]]
[[File:Towers, Church of St James (Igreja Matriz de Santiago), Tavira.jpg|thumb|Bell and clock towers, Church of St James (Igreja Matriz de Santiago), Tavira]]
The population is in the region of 25,000 inhabitants (municipality of Tavira) supporting a military base. Although still relatively untouched by mass tourism, there are several golf courses in the vicinity. The local beach lies past the salt pans and can be reached via the nearby [[Santa Luzia (Tavira)|Santa Luzia]] footbridge or by ferry, taking visitors to the sand-bar island known as [[Ilha de Tavira]], part of the [[Ria Formosa]] natural wetlands park.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.formosamar.com/en/ria-formosa/ | title=Ria Formosa, a Natural Park to discover in the Algarve - Formosamar }}</ref> The nearby [http://Tavira%20Island Praia do Barril beach] has an 'anchor cemetery', where rusting anchors stand as a tribute to the area’s tuna fishing heritage.<ref>https://www.backpackingbella.com/best-beaches-in-tavira-portugal/</ref>

In recent years the Gran Plaza shopping centre, incorporating a cinema, supermarket shops, and restaurants, was built on the outskirts of the town. House prices have increased sharply in recent years. The development of many golf clubs close to the town has also had an effect.

As one of the popular towns in the Algarve, Tavira benefits from tourism which is the primary aspect of the region's economy.

== Climate ==
Tavira has a [[hot-summer Mediterranean climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Csa'') with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Together with [[Faro, Portugal|Faro]], it is among the sunniest cities in Portugal and in Europe, typically averaging around 3,150 hours of sunshine.<ref name="siaia">{{cite web |title=Estudo de Impacte Ambiental do Porto de Pesca de Tavira |url=https://siaia.apambiente.pt/AIADOC/AIA1232/volume%20i_relat%C3%B3rio%20s%C3%ADntese2019322102216.pdf |publisher=Portuguese Environmental Agency |access-date=26 June 2021 |page=76}}</ref> Due to its location on the Algarvian [[Sotavento Algarvio|Sotavento]], Tavira is sheltered from frontal systems coming from the west but exposed to the influences of humid air masses coming from the south. The city receives predominantly western winds. Temperatures below {{convert|0|C}} are registered, on average, once a year. In contrast to the western coasts of Portugal, [[fog]] is very uncommon in Tavira, occurring on average only three times a year.<ref name="siaia" />

{{Weather box
| location = Tavira, elevation: {{convert|25|m|abbr=on|disp=or}}, normals 1991-2020, extremes 1973-1994
| metric first = yes
| single line = yes
| Jan record high C = 22.0
| Feb record high C = 24.5
| Mar record high C = 28.5
| Apr record high C = 30.0
| May record high C = 32.6
| Jun record high C = 37.4
| Jul record high C = 39.0
| Aug record high C = 39.4
| Sep record high C = 39.2
| Oct record high C = 34.0
| Nov record high C = 28.0
| Dec record high C = 24.0
| year record high C = 
| Jan high C = 15.4
| Feb high C = 16.1
| Mar high C = 18.8
| Apr high C = 20.7
| May high C = 22.5
| Jun high C = 26.6
| Jul high C = 30.7
| Aug high C = 29.8
| Sep high C = 27.2
| Oct high C = 22.0
| Nov high C = 19.2
| Dec high C = 16.5
| year high C = 
| Jan mean C = 11.0
| Feb mean C = 11.8
| Mar mean C = 14.1
| Apr mean C = 15.4
| May mean C = 17.8
| Jun mean C = 21.4
| Jul mean C = 25.0
| Aug mean C = 24.2
| Sep mean C = 21.8
| Oct mean C = 17.7
| Nov mean C = 15.0
| Dec mean C = 12.9
| year mean C = 
| Jan low C = 6.6
| Feb low C = 7.6
| Mar low C = 9.5
| Apr low C = 10.1
| May low C = 13.1
| Jun low C = 16.2
| Jul low C = 19.2
| Aug low C = 18.7
| Sep low C = 16.3
| Oct low C = 13.3
| Nov low C = 10.9
| Dec low C = 9.2
| year low C = 
| Jan record low C = -2.0
| Feb record low C = −1.5
| Mar record low C = 0.5
| Apr record low C = 3.0
| May record low C = 4.2
| Jun record low C = 7.2
| Jul record low C = 9.5
| Aug record low C = 11.0
| Sep record low C = 8.4
| Oct record low C = 5.2
| Nov record low C = 1.5
| Dec record low C = -2.0
| year record low C = 
| rain colour = green
| Jan rain mm = 30.7
| Feb rain mm = 68.3
| Mar rain mm = 42.0
| Apr rain mm = 38.8
| May rain mm = 38.7
| Jun rain mm = 11.9
| Jul rain mm = 0.2
| Aug rain mm = 2.1
| Sep rain mm = 12.3
| Oct rain mm = 55.9
| Nov rain mm = 45.6
| Dec rain mm = 89.8
| year rain mm = 
| unit rain days = 1.0 mm
| Jan rain days = 5.7
| Feb rain days = 5.4
| Mar rain days = 4.4
| Apr rain days = 5.7
| May rain days = 2.9
| Jun rain days = 1.1
| Jul rain days = 0.4
| Aug rain days = 0.4
| Sep rain days = 1.7
| Oct rain days = 5.0
| Nov rain days = 6.9
| Dec rain days = 7.6
| year rain days = 
| Jan humidity = 80
| Feb humidity = 79
| Mar humidity = 72
| Apr humidity = 69
| May humidity = 64
| Jun humidity = 63
| Jul humidity = 59
| Aug humidity = 58
| Sep humidity = 64
| Oct humidity = 72
| Nov humidity = 77
| Dec humidity = 79
| Jan sun = 170.8
| Feb sun = 193.4
| Mar sun = 206.0
| Apr sun = 277.4
| May sun = 334.6
| Jun sun = 358.1
| Jul sun = 395.3
| Aug sun = 370.4
| Sep sun = 290.5
| Oct sun = 243.0
| Nov sun = 172.5
| Dec sun = 164.9
| year sun = 
| Jan percentsun = 55
| Feb percentsun = 63
| Mar percentsun = 55
| Apr percentsun = 52
| May percentsun = 75
| Jun percentsun = 81
| Jul percentsun = 89
| Aug percentsun = 88
| Sep percentsun = 78
| Oct percentsun = 70
| Nov percentsun = 57
| Dec percentsun = 55
| source 1 = Météo Climat 1991-2020,<ref>{{cite web |title=Moyennes 1991/2020 Tavira | work = Baseline climate means (1991–2020) from stations all over the world |url=http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/listenormale-1991-2020-1-p175.php |publisher=Météo Climat |access-date=6 May 2022}}</ref> 1973-1994<ref>{{cite web |title=Extremes for Tavira |url=http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/station-340-1973-2020.php |publisher=Météo Climat |access-date=9 June 2021}}</ref>
| source 2 = [[IPMA]] (1951-1980 sunshine hours),<ref>{{cite web |title=Plano de Gestão das Bacias Hidrográficas das Ribeiras do Algarve |url=https://apambiente.pt/sites/default/files/_SNIAMB_Agua/DRH/PlaneamentoOrdenamento/PGRH/2010-2015/PTRH8/PGRH_1_RH8_Parte2_T1A.pdf |publisher=Portuguese Environmental Agency |access-date=26 June 2021 |page=131}}</ref> (1961-1990 Humidity)<ref>{{cite web |title=Plano Municipal de Defesa da Floresta Contra Incêndios |url=https://www.cm-tavira.pt/site/sites/default/files/cmt/PMDFCI_caderno-II.pdf |publisher=Tavira Municipality |access-date=9 June 2021}}</ref>
| source = 
}}

==Parishes==

Administratively, the municipality is divided into 6 civil parishes (''[[freguesia (Portugal)|freguesias]]''):<ref>{{cite web|title=Law nr. 11-A/2013, pages 552 118-119|url=http://dre.pt/pdf1sdip/2013/01/01901/0000200147.pdf |access-date=31 July 2014|author=Diário da República|author-link=Diário da República|language=pt}}</ref>
{{div col |colwidth=20em}}
* [[Conceição e Cabanas de Tavira]]
* [[Cachopo]]
* [[Luz de Tavira e Santo Estêvão]]
* [[Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo]]
* [[Santa Luzia (Tavira)|Santa Luzia]]
* [[Tavira (Santa Maria e Santiago)]]
{{div col end}}

{{wide image|Tavira Portugal aerial view.jpg|770px|Aerial view of Tavira}}

==Transport==
Tavira has its own railway station on the line from [[Vila Real de Santo António Municipality|Vila Real de Santo António]] to Faro and Lagos. Trains are operated by [[Comboios de Portugal]] (CP). Connections are available at Faro station for trains to Lisbon and the rest of Portugal.

The [[A22 motorway (Portugal)|A22]] toll motorway passes near to the town. This offers fast road access along the Algarve coast and eastwards to [[Seville]].

The nearest international airports are [[Faro Airport|Faro]] and [[Seville Airport|Seville]].

==International relations==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Portugal}}

Tavira is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Geminações|url=http://www.cm-tavira.pt/site/content/municipal/gemina%C3%A7%C3%B5es|website=cm-tavira.pt|publisher=Tavira|language=pt|access-date=2019-12-11}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flagicon|MAR}} [[Kenitra]], Morocco
*{{flagicon|POL}} [[Łańcut]], Poland
* {{flagicon|Brazil}} [[Tabira, Pernambuco|Tabira]], [[Brazil]]<ref name="Cidade-irmã"/>
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Perpignan]], France
*{{flagicon|CPV}} [[Porto Novo, Cape Verde (municipality)|Porto Novo]], Cape Verde
*{{flagicon|ESP}} [[Punta Umbría]], Spain
*{{flagicon|ESP}} [[San Bartolomé de la Torre]], Spain
{{div col end}}

The Associação Internacional de Paremiologia / International Association of Paremiology (AIP-IAP) is based in Tavira. It hosts an annual conference of [[proverb]] scholars in Tavira.<ref>[https://www.colloquium-proverbs.org/icp/en/ AIP-AIP]</ref>

== Notable people ==
[[File:Pessoa4.b.gif|thumb|140px|portrait of Álvaro de Campos]]
* The [[Corte-Real family]] nobles originated in the 14th century in Tavira
* [[Diogo de Mendonça Corte-Real]] (1658–1736) a diplomat and statesman
* [[Józef Karol Konrad Chełmicki]] (1814-1890) a Polish-born Portuguese general
* [[Estácio da Veiga]] (1828–1891) a Portuguese archeologist
* [[António Cabreira]] (1868–1953) aristocrat, mathematician, polygraph and publicist
* [[Álvaro de Campos]] (1890–1935) heteronym of the poet [[Fernando Pessoa]], known for his powerful and wrathful writing, being the family from his father side from Tavira

=== Sport ===
* [[Miguel Cabrita]] (born 1974) swimmer, competed at the [[1992 Summer Olympics|1992]] and [[1996 Summer Olympics]]
* [[Fernando Livramento]] (born 1982) a former footballer with 369 club caps
* [[João Neves (footballer)]] (born 2004) international footballer currently playing for [[Paris Saint-Germain FC|Paris Saint-Germain]]

==See also==
{{portal|Portugal}}
*[[Tavira DOC]]
*[[Tavira Island]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Tavira}}
{{EB1911 Poster|Tavira}}
{{Wikivoyage}}
*[http://www.cm-tavira.pt/site/index.php Website of the Municipality (in Portuguese)]
*[http://arkeotavira.com/ Arkeotavira: Archaeology, History and Old Maps] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160401200830/http://www.arkeotavira.com/ |date=2016-04-01 }}

{{Municipality of Faro District (Algarve)}}

{{Authority control}}{{Phoenician cities and colonies|state=Portugal}}
[[Category:Tavira| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Portugal]]
[[Category:Populated places in Faro District]]
[[Category:Towns in Portugal]]
[[Category:Seaside resorts in Portugal]]
[[Category:Municipalities of Faro District]]
[[Category:Phoenician colonies in Portugal]]
[[Category:Historic Jewish communities in Portugal]]