Cartaxo () is a municipality in the district of Santarém in continental Portugal. The population in 2011 was 24,462, in an area of 158.17&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>. The urbanized centre of Cartaxo had a population of 9,507 in 2001.

History

thumb|235px|left|The religious procession during the festival of Nossa Senhora da Graça

In written and oral history, the territory of Cartaxo was an important point in the interior of the country. A Roman road, crossing Alenquer (Lerabriga), connected ancient Olissipo (Lisbon) to Santarém (Scallabis) through the territory of Cartaxo. Yet, before the Romans, other civilizations settled in the region, establishing castros in Vila Nova de São Pedro, Vale do Tejo or in the areas of Muge.

  • Cartaxo e Vale da Pinta
  • Ereira e Lapa
  • Pontével
  • Valada
  • Vale da Pedra
  • Vila Chã de Ourique

The municipality is served by the Linha Ferroviária do Norte, with the station at Setil, the most important: it is part of the national rail network connection between the north and south. The rail stations in Santana and Reguengo are also points of departure and ingress to Cartaxo, permitting a level of regional mobility.

Twin towns — Sister cities

Cartaxo is twinned with:

  • Słupsk, Poland.

Architecture

Civic

  • Assembly House of Cartaxo ()
  • Bandstand of Cartaxo ()
  • Bandstand of Pontével ()
  • Cartaxo Market ()
  • Casa do Povo de Pontével ()
  • Commemorative Pillory of Pontével ()
  • Fountain of Concha ()
  • Hospital of the Misericórdia of Cartaxo ()
  • Lime Kiln of São Gens ()
  • Medieval Bridge of Pontével ()
  • Municipal Culture Centre of Cartaxo ()
  • Palace of Chavões (), sold at the end of the 14th century, the estate of Chavões was left in the will of Lourenço Gonçalves to the Church of Santo Estevão, in Santarém; since the middle of the 15th century it passed hands between various proprietors. By the beginning of the 17th century, it was purchased by Rui Telles de Menezes, Count of Unhão who constructed the "U-Shaped", classic Mannerist Palace, similar to the Palácio da Quinta das Torres, in Setúbal;
  • Pontével Market ()
  • Residence of the Countess of Pontével ()
  • Residence of the Camelo Family ()
  • Residence of Dr. Egas de Azevedo ()
  • Seniors Home of São João ()
  • Well of São Bartolomeu ()

Religious

  • Chapel of Nossa Senhora do Desterro ()
  • Chapel of Santo Cristo ()
  • Chapel of Senhor dos Passos ()
  • Church of Nossa Senhora da Expectação ()
  • Church of Nossa Senhora da Purificação ()
  • Church of São Bartolomeu ()
  • Church of São João Baptista ()
  • Church of the Espírito Santo ()
  • Cross of Cartaxo ()

Notable citizens

  • Cosme Delgado (c.1530 in Cartaxo – 1596) a Portuguese Renaissance composer.
  • Marco Chagas (born 1956 in Pontével) a retired professional cyclist, four-time winner of the Volta a Portugal
  • Qwentin (formed in 2003 in Cartaxo ) an alternative rock band

See also

  • Cartaxo IPR

References