Basic information about Alvor

In brief: the past and present of the Alvor resort.

History of the city of Alvor: significant events and interesting facts

An ancient fishing village located at the mouth of the Alvor River in the west of the Algarve province. The village of Alvor was founded in 436 AD by the Carthaginian general Anibal Barsa as a trading port of Portus Hannibalis. For a certain time Alvor was under Celtic and Roman influence. As a Roman colony of Ipses the settlement was authorized to mint currency. In 716 Alvor was ruled by the Moors, which gave rise to an impressive castle. Today the ruins of the old fortress remain.

In the Middle Ages, Alvor was conquered by the forces of King Sancho I of Portugal on June 3, 1189, then the Portuguese lost control of the city and regained it only in 1250. King Denis rebuilt the fortress walls in 1300 and for the next 500 years Alvor protected the coast from attacks by pirates and privateers. The castle was destroyed in 1755 by a tsunami and earthquake that wiped out Lisbon and many of Portugal's historic sites. During the reign of King John II, Alvor was under his patronage, who before his death on October 25, 1495, demanded that the settlement be given the status of a city. In the final decades of the 15th century, Alvor was the center of the Jewish community in Portugal.

Monk Joao de São José in 1577 mentioned that Alvor was a transit port for fully loaded battleships and galleons, and Fernandes Serrao in 1606 mentioned the construction of 240 houses in the town, which were protected by fortifications.

Panorama of Alvor

History of the City of Alvor: Significant Events and Interesting Facts

An ancient fishing village located at the mouth of the Alvor River in the west of the Algarve province. The village of Alvor was founded in 436 AD by the Carthaginian general Anibal Barsa as a trading port of Portus Hannibalis. For a certain time, Alvor was under Celtic and Roman influence. As a Roman colony of Ipses, the settlement was authorized to mint currency. In 716, Alvor was ruled by the Moors, which gave rise to an impressive castle. Today, the ruins of the old fortress remain.

In the Middle Ages, Alvor was conquered by the forces of King Sancho I of Portugal on June 3, 1189. Then the Portuguese lost control of the city and regained it only in 1250. King Denis rebuilt the fortress walls in 1300, and for the next 500 years, Alvor protected the coast from attacks by pirates and privateers. The castle was destroyed in 1755 by a tsunami and earthquake that wiped out Lisbon and many of Portugal's historic sites. During the reign of King John II, Alvor was under his patronage, who before his death on October 25, 1495, demanded that the settlement be given the status of a city. In the final decades of the 15th century, Alvor was the center of the Jewish community in Portugal.

Monk Joao de São José in 1577 mentioned that Alvor was a transit port for fully loaded battleships and galleons, and Fernandes Serrao in 1606 mentioned the construction of 240 houses in the town, which were protected by fortifications.


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