Vila Franca de Xira (ˈvilɐ ˈfɾɐ̃kɐ ðɨ ˈʃiɾɐ) is a municipality in Portugal

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

 with a total area of 317.7 km² and a total population of 133,224 inhabitants. Situated on the west bank of the Tagus River, just 32 km north-east of the Portuguese capital Lisbon

Lisbon

Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...

, Vila Franca de Xira is said to have been founded by French followers of Portugal's first king, Afonso Henriques

Afonso I of Portugal

Afonso I or Dom Afonso Henriques , more commonly known as Afonso Henriques , nicknamed "the Conqueror" , "the Founder" or "the Great" by the Portuguese, and El-Bortukali and Ibn-Arrik by the Moors whom he fought, was the first King of Portugal...

, around 1200.

The town is mostly famous for its bull-running festivals in July and October. Bulls are raised in the salty marshlands of the Ribatejo

Ribatejo

The Ribatejo is the most central of the traditional provinces of Portugal, with no coastline or border with Spain. The region is crossed by the Tagus River...

, which is also a notable breeding ground for the magnificent Lusitano

Lusitano

The Lusitano is a Portuguese horse breed, closely related to the Spanish Andalusian horse. Both are sometimes called Iberian horses, as the breeds both developed on the Iberian peninsula, and until the 1960s they were considered one breed, under the Andalusian name...

 horse, esteemed for its quick reflexes and maneuverability.

A number of brightly-coloured Portuguese bullfighting

Portuguese-style bullfighting

Portuguese-style bullfighting differs in many aspects from Spanish-style bullfighting. The cavaleiros and the forcados are unique as well as the horsewomen .-Main figures:...

 costumes are on display in the ethnographic museum in the town's bullring

Bullring

A bullring is an arena where bullfighting is performed. Bullrings are often associated with Spain, but they can also be found in neighboring countries and the New World...

, the Praça de Toiros (or Touros) Palha Blanco. Nearby, the town's Misericórdia church features striking 18th-century azulejo

Azulejo

Azulejo from the Arabic word Zellige زليج is a form of Portuguese or Spanish painted, tin-glazed, ceramic tilework. They have become a typical aspect of Portuguese culture, having been produced without interruption for five centuries...

s (glazed tiles). You can find too the Museum of Neo-Realism.

3 km south of Vila Franca de Xira lies the Lezíria Grande Equestrian Centre, where visitors can watch stylish displays of the impressive Lusitano horses. The centre also stages typical bullfighting spectacles in its outdoor bullring. Visitors can ride Lusitano horses and take dressage lessons at the Quinta de São Sebastião, a sprawling estate at Arruda dos Vinhos

Arruda dos Vinhos

Arruda dos Vinhos is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 78.0 km² and a total population of 11,210 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of 4 parishes, and is located in Lisboa District....

, 11 km west of Vila Franca de Xira.

The municipality is composed of 11 parishes, and is located in the Lisbon District.

The present Mayor is Maria da Luz Rosinha, elected by the Socialist Party

Portuguese Socialist Party

The Portuguese Socialist Party was a political party in Portugal.The party was founded in 1875. During its initial phase the party was heavily influenced by Proudhonism, and rejected revolutionary Marxism. The party suffered constant factional struggles...

.

Demographics

Vila Franca de Xira Municipality (1801–2008)
1801	1849	1900	1930	1960	1981	1991	2001	2008
3 839	5 202	15 766	24 053	40 594	88 193	103 571	122 908	142 163

Parishes

• Alhandra
• Alverca do Ribatejo
  Alverca do Ribatejo
  Alverca do Ribatejo is a city and a parish in Vila Franca de Xira Municipality in Portugal. It covers an area of 17.89 km² and had a population of 29,086 as of 2001. It was promoted to city status in 1990. It is a city and a suburb near the Tagus River , in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area...
  
  
• Cachoeiras
• Calhandriz
• Castanheira do Ribatejo
  Castanheira do Ribatejo
  Castanheira do Ribatejo is a town in Portugal....
  
  
• Forte da Casa
  Forte da Casa
  Forte da Casa is a town in Portugal....
  
  
• Póvoa de Santa Iria
  Póvoa de Santa Iria
  Póvoa de Santa Iria is a city and civil parish in the municipality of Vila Franca de Xira, Portugal....
  
  
• São João dos Montes
• Sobralinho
• Vialonga
• Vila Franca de Xira

External links

• Vila Franca de Xira Municipality
• Photos from Vila Franca de Xira