Serpa

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title: "Serpa" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["serpa", "municipalities-of-beja-district", "populated-places-in-beja-district", "historic-jewish-communities-in-portugal"] topic_path: "geography/portugal" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpa" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox Portuguese subdivision"]

FieldValue
typemunicipality
nameSerpa
image_flagPt-srp1.png
flag_borderno
image_shieldSRP.png
image_skylineSerpa1 edited.JPG
image_captionView of Serpa
coordinates
image_map
map_captionInteractive map of Serpa
regionAlentejo
CIMBaixo Alentejo
districtBeja
parishes5
leader_partyCDU
leader_nameJoão Manuel Silva
area_total_km21105.63
population_total15,623
population_as_of2011
holidayHoly Tuesday (date varies)
websitehttp://www.cm-serpa.pt/
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| type = municipality | name = Serpa | image_flag = Pt-srp1.png | flag_border = no | image_shield = SRP.png | image_skyline = Serpa1 edited.JPG | image_caption = View of Serpa | coordinates = | image_map = | map_caption = Interactive map of Serpa | region = Alentejo | CIM = Baixo Alentejo | district = Beja | parishes = 5 | leader_party = CDU | leader_name = João Manuel Silva | area_total_km2 = 1105.63 | population_total= 15,623 | population_as_of= 2011 | holiday = Holy Tuesday (date varies) | website = http://www.cm-serpa.pt/ Serpa () is a municipality in the district of Beja in southern Portugal. The population in 2011 was 15,623, in an area of 1105.63 km2. The Guadiana River flows close to the town of Serpa.

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Aqueduct_in_Serpa.JPG" caption="Aqueduct in Serpa"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Castelo_de_Serpa_1.JPG" caption="Castle of Serpa"] ::

Serpa has its origins in early settlement that preceded the Roman occupation of the Iberian peninsula. The neighbouring town of Beja (known as Pax Julia by the Romans) became the capital of southern Lusitanian (Pacensis). Serpa grew through the settlement of Roman colonists, with proof coming from various archaeological remains within the Roman villa.

Moorish settlement followed this period, and remained until the Reconquista (the Christian re-conquest of Iberia).

As a result of Serpa's proximity to the Spanish border, the town has always been a defensive stronghold. In the 13th century, owing to its location on the left bank of the Guadiana, it was occupied by forces loyal to Castile.

On 1281, King D. Alfonso X of Castile delimited the municipality, attributing a Foral (charter) to the town, from Seville, in order to encourage settlement and expansion.

Following the Reconquista, in 1295, Serpa received a new foral from Portuguese King D. Dinis. The local keep that dominated Serpa was partly damaged as a result of the last Spanish invasion. At that time, the king ordered the re-construction of the castle, as well as the erection of a wall fortification.

A new foral was issued in 1513, by King D. Manuel I, who was the former master of Serpa.

During the 17th century, the walls and system of bastions were adapted to serve as a defensive line by Nicolau de Langres (1665).

On 30 January 1954, the walls of Serpa were classified as a Monumento Nacional (National Monument).

Following the Carnation Revolution (in 1974), the Portuguese Communist Party gained strong support in the area, where it continues to be popular.

On 26 August 2003, the town of Serpa was elevated to city status. Meanwhile, on 28 January 2013, the historic centre of Serpa (that included the principal civil parishes) of São Salvador and Santa Maria, was re-incorporated into a single civil parish (Decree 11-A/2013, Diário da República, Série 1, 19).

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Guadiana_river.jpg" caption="A view of the Guadiana River within the territory of Serpa"] ::

Geography

Administratively, the municipality is divided into five civil parishes:

Climate

|location = Serpa, 1991-2021, altitude: 209 m |metric first = yes |single line = Yes |width = auto

|precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 49.3 |Feb precipitation mm = 35.8 |Mar precipitation mm = 48.2 |Apr precipitation mm = 50.3 |May precipitation mm = 33.6 |Jun precipitation mm = 7.6 |Jul precipitation mm = 1.6 |Aug precipitation mm = 3.2 |Sep precipitation mm = 22.9 |Oct precipitation mm = 61.9 |Nov precipitation mm = 58.9 |Dec precipitation mm = 76.2 |year precipitation mm =

|source 1 = Portuguese Environment Agency

Economy

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/SolarPowerPlantSerpa.jpg" caption="A view of the [[Serpa solar power plant"] ::

The area surrounding Serpa consists mostly of farms and cultivated lands of wheat, that have traditionally been the staple of the local economy, employing many people. Due to the area's strong agricultural reliance, the local population has traditionally been agrarian farmers and sheepherders. This has also resulted in the production of its spicy and strong-smelling cheeses, produced in the area and commercialized throughout Portugal. Slightly to the northeast, in the region of Pias, the area cultivates vineyards in order to produce local wines.

On 27 April 2006, GE Energy Financial Services, PowerLight Corporation and Catavento Lda. announced that they would build one of the world's largest solar photovoltaic power projects at a single site in Serpa. The 11-megawatt solar power station, comprising 52,000 photovoltaic modules, would be built in one of Europe's sunniest areas. The power station was inaugurated on 28 March 2007.

Culture

Urban residents of Lisbon, Beja and other cities maintain country homes in Serpa, or take weekend breaks to the area as a result of Serpa's rural location and laid back lifestyle.

Local and regional specialties include Shepherd's Lamb Stew, a Clam and Pork dish and Sweet Potato Pastries.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/Vasco_Fernandes_Coutinho_Ilustrado_pelo_Artista_Gráfico_Jeferson_de_Oliveira..jpg" caption="Vasco Fernandes Coutinho"] ::

Notable people

References

References

  1. [http://www.ine.pt/xportal/xmain?xlang=en&xpid=INE&xpgid=ine_indicadores&indOcorrCod=0005889&contexto=pi&selTab=tab0 Instituto Nacional de Estatística]
  2. "Áreas das freguesias, concelhos, distritos e país".
  3. (2009). "Núcleo urbano da cidade de Serpa/Núcleo intramuros de Serpa (IPA.00005859/PT040213050023)". SIPA – Sistema de Informação para o Património Arquitectónico.
  4. "Law 11-A/2013". Diário da República.
  5. "Monthly Precipitation Serpa". APA.
  6. (28 March 2017). "Major solar power plant opens in Portugal's south". Reuters.
  7. [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0108333/ Nicolau Breyner, IMDb Database] retrieved 10 June 2021.
  8. [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0478615/ Filipe La Féria, IMDb Database] retrieved 10 June 2021.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

serpamunicipalities-of-beja-districtpopulated-places-in-beja-districthistoric-jewish-communities-in-portugal