Santa Maria da Feira
Santa Maria da Feira (
pron. IPA []) is a
municipality in
Portugal with a total area of 215.1
km² and a total population of 140,494 inhabitants, and 107,458 electors.
The municipality is composed of 31 parishes, and is located in the District of
Aveiro.
The present Mayor is Alfredo de Oliveira Henriques, elected by the (
Social Democratic Party.
The municipal holiday is
January 20. It's the day when the whole municipality celebrates the
Fogaçeiras. The
Fogaçeiras is a special local holiday. During the Middle Ages, the lands of
Santa Maria (as it was known back then) were infested by the dark plague. To get rid of this calamity, the locals offered a sugared bread to the patron saint Saint Sebastien. The
Fogaçeiras have been celebrated for five hundred years, since the eradication of the dark plague.
*
Argoncilhe*
Arrifana*
Caldas de São Jorge*
Canedo*
Escapães*
Espargo*
Feira*
Fiães*
Fornos*
Gião*
Guisande*
Lobão*
Louredo*
Lourosa*
Milheirós de Poiares*
Mosteiró*
Mozelos*
Nogueira da Regedoura*
Paços de Brandão*
Pigeiros*
Rio Meão*
Romariz*
Sanfins*
Sanguedo*
Santa Maria de Lamas*
São João de Ver*
São Paio de Oleiros*
Souto*
Travanca*
Vale*
Vila MaiorSanta Maria da Feira is a heavily industrialized municipality and is famous for its several
cork transforming and shoes factories. The seat of the municipality is Feira, famous for its medieval castle which was the residence of Portugal's first king,
Afonso Henriques, for a short period of time. The castle, located in the top of a hill, was of a considerate strategic importance during its time.
Every year, in summer, a medieval festival takes place in Santa Maria da Feira -
Feira Medieval - during which the city goes back to the Middle Ages, allowing its visitors to have a splendind journey into the past, with parades, jousts, music, dance and a lot more. If offers an amazing recreation of the old world with Feira's beautiful castle as background.
Image:Fogaca_Sweet_Bread.jpg|Fogaça - typical sweet breadImage:CasteloStaMariaFeira1.jpg|Castle at Santa Maria da FeiraImage:FeiraMedieval_2005-08-03.jpg|Medieval festival parade*
Town Hall official website*
Feirense web*
Info at the Portuguese Association of Municipalities website*
Photos from Santa Maria da Feira
