José Maria dos Santos Garden

Category: Nature > Garden

District: Setúbal > Palmela > Pinhal Novo

Location:

The José Maria dos Santos Garden is located in the heart of Pinhal Novo, a locality belonging to the municipality of Palmela. Positioned in the square that gives it its name, this garden serves as a central point of reference in the town. It is situated in the vicinity of the São José chapel and near the local bandstand, elements that make it a meeting point and a thoroughfare for residents and visitors.

A Space for Leisure and Socializing:

This garden is recognized for its pleasant and welcoming atmosphere, ideal for those seeking a moment of tranquility. It is characterized by a small lake that adds a serene note to the landscape and a beautiful bandstand, a venue for various events and a point of attraction. For the younger ones, the garden features a playground with various equipment. The space has undergone renovation works, focused on improving its accessibility and functionality, and on renewing the vegetation to adapt to current climatic conditions. These improvements aim to ensure that the José Maria dos Santos Garden continues to be one of the main "drawing rooms" of Pinhal Novo.

The Monument and Its Symbolism:

In the center of the garden, the monument dedicated to José Maria dos Santos, the personality who inspires the name of this space, stands out. Erected in 1916 as a tribute from his former tenant farmers, the monument consists of a robust stone structure supporting a bronze bust, the work of sculptor Costa Motta Sobrinho. The base of the sculpture features significant artistic details: two volutes with vines and grapes in bas-relief. A coat-of-arms-shaped bronze plaque displays a beehive with three bees in the center, surrounded by representations of agricultural tools, a shovel, a rake, a sickle, and a hoe, intertwined with a ribbon. The central inscription "AO BENEMERITO E INSIGNE LAVRADOR JOSÉ MARIA DOS SANTOS 1832-1913" (To the meritorious and distinguished farmer José Maria dos Santos 1832-1913), framed by twisted vines, gives the piece a distinct Art Nouveau style. The bust itself, with its naturalistic tendency, conveys an image of the honoree's strength and serenity.

The Legacy of an Agricultural Visionary:

José Maria dos Santos was a prominent figure in Portugal's history, notable for his entrepreneurial capacity in the agricultural sector, especially as one of the largest winegrowers of his time. His career was fundamental to the agricultural development and colonization of the Rio Frio-Poceirão area. The symbolic elements present in the monument, such as the vines, grapes, beehive, and agricultural tools, are a clear allusion to his vast contribution to the modernization of Portuguese agriculture. The presence of this garden, with its name and monument, perpetuates the memory of an innovator whose legacy profoundly marked the local landscape and economy.

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