Our village

SANTANA

Santana Parish

• Santana is a Portuguese parish in the municipality of Portel, with an area of 41,89 km² and 542 inhabitants (2011). Population density: 12,9 h/km².

• Santana is a neighbouring parish of the municipality, situated nearby the left border of the Odivelas stream (Ribeira de Odivelas). It has one of the best “manuelina-mudéjar” architectural pieces of the municipality. (manuelina-mudéjar is a decorative style developed in the realm of D.Manuel I).

Santana Parish

Heraldry

SANTANA• The name of Santana was

given because of the patron saint Santa Ana.

• The church is situated in the centre of the village. It is one of the most important temples of the municipality because of its architectural structure, specially the “polinervorada” dome that covers the whole church.

• Long time ago the church divided the village into “High Village” (Aldeia de Cima) and “Low Village” (Aldeia de Baixo).

SANTANA• It is not known the date of

its foundation, but some archaeological remains can be found nearby the village. Those remains date the Prehistory. Thus the “pedra de Santa Ana” (Santa Ana stone) an example of ruprest art, and the “Anta do Freixo” (megalithic monument) are some of the archaeological samples of the Roman civilization.

The Legend of Nossa Senhora de Santana        

According to the legend, one day a shepherd was passing by a stone and saw astonished “Nossa Senhora”, on the stone. She called him and said: “Go to the village and pass on my message! Tell to the people that live there to build here, in this place, a chapel honouring me.

The shepherd did what he was told, went to the village and repeated the message. People laughed at him and called him crazy. He came back to the place where he saw the saint and prayed.

People believes that the marks on the stone belong to Santa Ana

The stone where Nossa Senhora appeared

Sometime later the Saint reappeared and asked him to tell her how people reacted to her message.

The shepherd told her that they didn’t believe a poor and humble shepherd and laughed at him.

“Nossa Senhora” disappeared and was never seen again in that place. Nobody knows for sure when this happened, but the population of the village believes in the legend.

Main professional actvities

Cork extraction

Cork- national tree of Portugal

Catching olives

Harvest (wine grapes)

agricultureCattle breeding

Small businesse

Cheese making

Bakery Coal

Wine

Gastronomy

Serra de Portel (Portel Mountain)-(Natural

Patrimony )• A big part of the parish area is covered by the Serra de Portel (with 418 meters high). It has great areas of cork-oak (montado de sobro) and holm-oak (azinho).

• Weather: is tipically Mediterranean• Geomorphology: it is a Mountainous Massif with

its origin in Shale-graywacke.

Fauna: rich in birds and mammalian predators

GenetFox

DeerWild roar

Mongoose

Iberian Lynx

White Stork

NightingtaleTurtle dove

Eagle Owl Golden EagleHawk

Flora: about 680 different vegetable species (1990).

Different species of mushrooms

more…

Broom flower

Medronho

Lily

Rosemary

Rockrose

Heather

Cork- national tree of Portugal

holmoak

Ancorn – fruit of holmoak

Some photos of our village

Traditional streets

Posto médico

Church

Church door

Public tank to wash clothes

Park

Medical center

Tipycal chimney

Water source

Beautiful landscapes

Our School

Class - Preschool

Class A ( 1st/ 2nd grades)

Class B (3rd/4th grades)

Some activities made in our school