Portugal History

The part of Iberia which is now Portugal was occupied by a people known as the Lusitanos who are thought to be direct ancestors of the Portuguese people. The region was invaded and occupied by the Romans and later the Moors; it remained under the latter's control until the 11th century, when Ferdinand, ruler of the Kingdom of Leon and Castilla (in what is now Spain) conquered much of the territory. Over the next 200 years, the remaining Moors were driven out and the boundaries of Portugal fixed; and it was during this period (in 1143) that Portugal first became recognized as an independent entity under the rule of King Afonso Henriques.

The Castilians were themselves expelled in 1385 after defeat at the hands of João of Aviz (who became King João I) at the Battle of Aljubarotta. From this point, the Portuguese went on to build a colonial empire in Africa, Latin America, India and the Far East. One of the most famous figures during this period was Prince Henry the Navigator, amongst whose acquisitions were the Azores and Madeira. One of the best-known visitors to Madeira was Christopher Columbus, who married a daughter of one of the island's governors and lived for some time on Porto Santo. The island survived a brief invasion by a French pirate in 1566, but in 1580, along with the rest of Portugal, came under Spanish domination.

This arose from the recurring friction between the two kingdoms, particularly after the union of Aragon and Castilla in the late 15th century. In the 16th century, with the Portuguese regime weakened by a struggle for the succession to the throne and the legacy of a disastrous 'crusade' against the Moors, Philip II of Spain (who had a claim to the Portuguese crown) invaded. Spanish rule lasted just 60 years until 1640, when the Portuguese launched a successful uprising and seceded from Spain. However, by the time they recovered their independence, the Portuguese had lost the bulk of their empire, including most of the valuable East Indies territories which had been occupied by the Dutch.

Portugal ceased to be a major player in the European colonial scramble thereafter. The Braganza dynasty, which took power after the defeat of the Spanish, lasted until the mid-19th century, presiding over a weak economy and a largely feudal society. One of the princesses of the royal house, Catherine, married Charles II of England, confirming the friendly relations between the two countries which date back to the 14th century. This brought many advantages to English merchants in Portugal, and also on the island of Madeira where the treaty helped the rapid development of the trade in the island's wine which became popular in England. Portuguese political development lagged behind that of many European states during this period and it remained comparatively untouched by the Enlightenment until the emergence in the late 18th century of the Marquis de Pombal, who was both dictatorial yet enlightened (by the standards of the time) on matters of social reform.

He did much to break the power of the landed aristocracy over the country. Occasional conflicts with the Spanish and French - sometimes in alliance - threatened the country's autonomy, but the Portuguese always managed to preserve their independence, often with the support of the British. The monarchy was finally overthrown in 1910 by republican forces, who particularly resented the strong influence of the Catholic church on the regime. Portugal supported the Allied Powers during World War I, but contributed little due to the presence of a strong pro-German element in the armed forces, which made several coup attempts.

A 1911 revolution deposed the monarchy with the assassination of King Manuel I and his son. For most of the next six decades, repressive governments ran the country. Antonio Salazar a right wing fascist ran the country with an iron fist and a austere economic plan which slowly buried Portugal deeper and deeper in its third world status within Europe. Salazar also held on to the colonies of Angola, Mozambique and Guinea, which contributed not just to the deplorable state of those countries, but also to a colonial war which killed hundreds of thousands of Portuguese men.
In 1974, a left-wing military coup installed broad democratic reforms, which had the opposite effect. Too much freedom, too quickly, placed the country in total "democratic chaos". Union bosses, corrupt politicians, and left-wing and right-wing extremists took turns plundering the country, with disastrous economic and labor plans. Starting in 1976, Portugal granted independence to all of its African colonies, and a wave of refugees were poorly assimilated into a society that does not value ethnicity to this day.
Successive governments led by communists, socialists and social-democrats continued their mismanagement of Portugal. At last, the social-democratic government of Prime-minister Cavaco da Silva brought prosperity and double digit economic growth in the late 80's and early 90's. It helped that Portugal joined the EC in 1986. Joining the EC gave the country a boost, with a flurry of grants and investments that contributed to new roads and an overall upgrade of a dilapidated infrastructure.

The mismanagement of the Socialist government of Prime-minister Antonio Guterres, the Social-democratic government of Prime-minister Jose Manuel Barroso (promptly promoted to President of the European Commission), and his successor, Santana Lopes was disastrous. The country embarked on a 0% growth rate with a growing economic deficit. Added to this, was the cessation of funds from the EC without a source of replacement.
In 2005, President Sampaio dismissed the government and called new elections. The Socialists were brought to power with a majority of the vote, and new Prime-Minister Jose Socrates' impact remains to be seen. Portugal is currently in an economic crisis with the 0% economic growth rate and projections that, if accounting for the fluctuation of interest rates set by the central bank, growth will be negative in 2006.

The Alentejo Province is a region of wide plains to the south of the Tagus River (Rio Tejo). In the heart of this region, at a distance of 130 km from Lisbon, lies the city of Évora, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Part of the town is enclosed by ancient walls and has been preserved in its original state, aswell as its monuments dating from various historical periods. It was known by the Romans as Liberalitas Julia, and vestiges from this period (walls and rooms) and the monumental imperial temple (Diana's temple), still remain. During the barbarian invasions, Évora was under Visigoth rule. It occupied a space defined by a Roman enclosure that had been modified. In 715, the city was conquered by the Muslims.

Évora was wrested from the moors by the Christian Knight Geraldo Sempavor in 1166 and flourished as one of the most dynamic cities in the Kingdom of Portugal during Middle Ages. The court was resident here for long spells and Évora became the scene for many royal weddings and a place where many important decisions were made. Particularly thriving during the Avis Dynasty (1385-1580), it was formerly a major center for the humanities.

The university was founded by the Company of Jesus in 1551, and it was here that great European Masters such as Clenardo and Molina passed on their knowledge. In the 18th century, the Jesuits, which had spread intellectual and religious enlightenment since the 16th century, were expelled, the university was closed and Évora went into decline. The university was reopened in 1973. The many monuments erected by the major artists of each period now testify to Évora's lively cultural, artistic and historical past. The variety of architectural styles (roman, gothic, manueline, mannerist, baroque), the palaces and even the squares and narrow streets are all part of the rich heritage of this museum-city.