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About Tavira |
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| The history of the municipality dates back to the Neolithic period (4000 to 1,500) B.C. according to the monuments and human presence of Tavira and it was the mining industry that helped flourish the northeast side of the Algarve. Around the beginning of the 1st century B.C. the Romans brought prosperity to the area thanks to the economic importance of the fish-salting industry. It was during the 8th - 13 th century under the Moorish ruling that the castle and port was built. This then made Tavira one of the largest towns on the Algarve, but in 1415 the conquering of Ceuta and other towns in north Africa made a decisive influence on the fortune of Tavira. By the 15th/16th century the port developed a great importance of wealth and support for the Portuguese garrisons overseas. It was then by 1520 the city received a status elevation with the interest of several royal visits. In 1645/46 an outbreak of plague and the gradual silting of the channel affected vessels entering the harbour. Tavira suffered immensely during the earthquake in 1755.
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By the 19th/20th century it was the Tuna industry that gave the city a breath of fresh air. Today the city of Tavira is full of art and history with a fine 15th/16th century castle with breathtaking views of the city with its multitude of churches, and a thriving port with the sea on the horizon. The story goes of a mysterious tomb that has yet to be resolved, where the mortal remains of Paio Peres Correia really lie. He was a valiant master that played a decisive role in the Christian reconquest of the Algarve and of southern Spain, but strangely enough the Spanish monastery also claim they have the tomb of the valiant master, so nobody really knows where the old knight's mortal remains really are. |
