Portugal: Estremadura Team

Profile managers: Mindy Silva [send private message], Portugal Project WikiTree [send private message], and Jen Lieberman [send private message]

The Estremadura Team is a sub-team of the Provinces Team which is part of the Portugal Project.

Estremadura Team

Team Leader:

• Jen is on leave at this time, and unavailable

Team Members:

• Jen Lieberman, Florindo-1

• Would you like to join the Portugal Project and contribute to these profiles? We would love to have you! Answer the G2G Post or contact one of the Leaders to join.

Tasks:

• Develop a regional page for Estremadura.
• Work on Maintenance categories for Estremadura profiles (write biographies, search for sources, etc.)
• Think of possibilities for topics in the region: One Place Study, occupational focus, notable people
• Add appropriate categories to the profiles
• Add the project sticker to any profile that doesn't have it
• Check for Suggestions in this region and make corrections as needed

History

(summarised from Wikipedia by a non-native speaker - feel free to correct/improve)

Estremadura was one of the six medieval provinces in Portugal, whose name probably derives from the period when the southern territories were still under Moorish control and this region was "Extrema Durii" (latin for "the farthest away from the Douro river").

Estremadura Map in medieval times

In 1832 a new territorial organisation was created, with the Estremadura "prefecture" now including Santarém, Alenquer, Torres Vedras and Lisboa as "sub prefectures". In 1835 a new system with 17 districts ("distritos") is put in place, with the province ("província") becoming more of an historic concept that an effective administrative division of the territory.

In 1936, based on a study that identified the country's "natural regions", Portugal was divided into 13 provinces, including Estremadura, defined as: Lisboa District (except for the municipalities of Azambuja and Vila Franca de Xira), the northern half or Setúbal District, and the southern half of Leiria District.

Estremadura Map 1936-76

The 1976 Constitution includes an administrative reorganisation that eliminates the concept of Province. Under this new organisation the former area included in the Estremadura province would be composed by 29 municipalities ("concelhos") belonging to 3 districts ("distritos"):

• Leiria district: Alcobaça, Bombarral, Caldas da Rainha, Marinha Grande, Nazaré, Óbidos, Peniche, Porto de Mós;

• Lisbon district: Alenquer, Arruda dos Vinhos, Cadaval, Cascais, Lisboa, Loures, Lourinhã, Mafra, Oeiras, Sintra, Sobral de Monte Agraço, Torres Vedras;

• Setúbal district: Alcochete, Almada, Barreiro, Moita, Montijo, Palmela, Seixal, Sesimbra, Setúbal;

Recently, two of these municipalities have been subdivided, resulted in the creation of Amadora (formerly a part of Oeiras) and Odivelas (formerly a part of Loures).

Confusing? Well, probably because of the link with real geographic/regional features, the concept of provinces has lived on in school textbooks many years after it was no longer used as an administrative concept, resulting in it still being used, including in WikiTree.

Relevance for genealogical studies? probably not much, since most of the surviving records belong to Parishes, which were not necessarily organised to cover the same areas as the administrative regions.

Is there an easier way to get around? There may just be:Historical Atlas is a tool that enables you to identify how spatial definitions evolved over time. This blog includes a summarised "how to". This resource applies to all regions in Portugal.

Notables:

• Portugal-77 - King Afonso II - buried at the Monastery of Alcobaça
• Portugal-76 - King Afonso III - buried at the Monastery of Alcobaça
• Burgundy-244 - D. Pedro I - buried at the Monastery of Alcobaça
• Castro-101 - D. Inês de Castro - buried at the Monastery of Alcobaça

Resources:

• Advanced Search on adporto.pt
• Alcobaça Parish Books
• Caldas da Rainha Parish Books
• FamilySearch site