Royal Road (southern stretch)

Category: Archaeology > Site

District: Leiria > Nazaré > Nazaré > Antigo Caminho Real

Origin and History

, The Royal Path was used by pilgrims to reach Pederneira, starting at the barge bridge, where the old national road No. 242 crosses the Alcôa River.

, Before Nazaré Beach existed, the area was influenced by the sea and the constant changes of the Alcôa River. The path followed the crest of the elevation to Pederneira.

Pederneira

, Pederneira is the first historical settlement center of Nazaré, with Roman origins and development in the Middle Ages.

, A land of fishermen since the 12th century, with a strong connection to agriculture.

, It was a town and seat of the Municipality from 1512, with a charter granted by D. Manuel I, until the beginning of the 20th century.

Administrative Changes

, In 1912, the name was changed to Nazaré, and the Town Hall was moved to the Beach area.

, The designation of Vila da Nazaré (Town of Nazaré) came to encompass the nuclei of Praia (Beach), Sítio and Pederneira.

Historical Importance

, Nazaré began to be known as a bathing beach in the mid-19th century.

Current Conditions of the Path

, The surface of the Royal Path is uneven and deserves maintenance, with requests for its heritage classification.

Royal Road

, The royal roads were the main routes in Portugal and the Portuguese Empire, maintained by the Portuguese Crown.

, With the Republic in 1910, the royal roads became known as national roads.

Current Use

, Some sections of the old royal roads are still part of the current road network or are used as pedestrian routes.

Sources: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estrada_Real

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt