Matacães
Encyclopedia
Matacães is a parish in Torres Vedras
municipality, 50 km north of Lisbon. The name Matacães has a literal translation of "kill dogs" or "dog killer". This name has its origin back in the Middle Ages, in the period of the Reconquest and it refers to the killing of the Moors
, who were at that time settling in the area.
Landlords would give pieces of land to their servants to settle and farm as reward if they kicked out the Moors
.
A castro
and a necropolis
indicate that this area has been inhabited since pre-history.
From Roman times there is a gravestone with astral signs.
In the 18th century, the Portuguese and the British army fought against the Napoleon army in this area and its surroundings.
Torres Vedras
Torres Vedras is a city and a municipality in the district of Lisbon, Portugal, about 50 km north of Lisbon. It belongs to the Oeste subregion and the Centro region.The municipality covers an area of 405.89 km² distributed over 20 freguesias...
municipality, 50 km north of Lisbon. The name Matacães has a literal translation of "kill dogs" or "dog killer". This name has its origin back in the Middle Ages, in the period of the Reconquest and it refers to the killing of the Moors
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
, who were at that time settling in the area.
Landlords would give pieces of land to their servants to settle and farm as reward if they kicked out the Moors
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
.
A castro
Castro culture
Castro culture is the archaeological term for naming the Celtic archaeological culture of the northwestern regions of the Iberian Peninsula from the end of the Bronze Age until it was subsumed in local Roman culture...
and a necropolis
Necropolis
A necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, literally meaning "city of the dead"...
indicate that this area has been inhabited since pre-history.
From Roman times there is a gravestone with astral signs.
In the 18th century, the Portuguese and the British army fought against the Napoleon army in this area and its surroundings.