Category: Culture and Entertainment > Art Gallery
District: Lisboa > Torres Vedras > Torres Vedras > Bairro de Santo António
The Town Hall building is situated in the Bairro de Santo António, an area that is part of the locality of Torres Vedras. This central location, where an old fountain also stands, marks a point of reference in the urban configuration of the area.
The exact date of the original construction of the Torres Vedras Town Hall is unknown. However, there are references to the building dating back to 1337, indicating its presence on the site since medieval times. Over the centuries, the building underwent several interventions and restorations, notably in 1597 and 1634, adapting and evolving with the town.
A significant episode in the building's history occurred in 1744, when a fire, caused by a prisoner attempting to escape from the jail located on the lower floor, caused severe damage. This fire had significant consequences, leading to the loss of a large part of the medieval and modern historical documents that were stored in the municipal archives.
The appearance we see today in the Town Hall resulted from the restoration works that followed the 1744 fire, completed in 1776. This year is also the date of the construction of the fountain located in the square in front of the building.
The fountain, built in Pombaline style, features a Latin inscription that marks its construction in 1776, at the initiative of the District Corregedor, at public expense, to serve the convenience of the jail and the population during the reign of D. José I. Water formerly arrived via a branch of the aqueduct and flowed from a spout shaped like a fish's mouth, falling into a small marble basin.
Throughout its existence, the Town Hall building has been the administrative heart of the municipality. In addition to its function as the seat of the municipal services, it also played a significant role in historical moments, such as during the Peninsular War, a period when it served as the headquarters of the war commissariat during the military occupation of Torres Vedras.
Beneath the building, archaeological excavations carried out in 2001 revealed traces of much older occupations. Nine Islamic silos, dating between the 10th and 11th centuries, were discovered, providing evidence of the Arab presence in the area during the Caliphate of Cordoba period. Finds included numerous ceramic vessels from the era, as well as pieces related to the first years after the Christian reconquest and coins from the 12th to 15th centuries, illustrating the deep historical layer of this site.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 39.0930609,-9.2600376
Coordinates DMS: 39°05'35.0"N 09°15'36.1"W