Description
THE HISTORY OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF LOULÉ
As is the case across most of the Algarve, the human presence in the area can be dated back to the Palaeolithic period from artefacts found on the surface. There is, however, a more varied and more significant archaeological record of the Neolithic period (4,000 to 1,500 B.C.). From the Chalcolithic to the time of the Roman occupation, mining operations, such as those in the Alte area, were the chief reason for the establishment of settlements in the interior.
Under the Romans, there were several fishing and fish salting centres dotted along the coast, the best documented of which is the “villa” at Cerro da Vila in Vilamoura. It is clear from archaeological finds that the Romans also settled on the site where Loulé castle now stands.
Although the Visigoths left no trace of their time in the region, the same is not true of the Moors (8th to 13th centuries), for whom Loulé was an urban centre of some importance. The Christian reconquest, in 1249, and the policy pursued throughout the Algarve of allowing the Moors to remain in quarters outside the city walls – known as Mourarias – made it possible for Loulé to continue to develop.
With the establishment of a fair, in 1291, Loulé became one of the major focal points for trade in the Algarve in medieval times.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.