Jump to content

Barrancos

Coordinates: 38°07′N 6°58′W / 38.117°N 6.967°W / 38.117; -6.967
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Barrancos Municipality)
Town of Barrancos
Municipality
Flag of Town of Barrancos
Flag
Coat of arms of Town of Barrancos
Coat of arms
Coordinates: 38°07′N 6°58′W / 38.117°N 6.967°W / 38.117; -6.967
Country Portugal
RegionAlentejo
Intermunic. comm.Baixo Alentejo
DistrictBeja
Parishes1
Government
 • PresidentLeonel Caçador Rodrigues (CDU)
Area
 • Total
168.42 km2 (65.03 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)
 • Total
1,438
 • Density8.5/km2 (22/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+00:00 (WET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+01:00 (WEST)
Local holidayAugust 28
Websitewww.cm-barrancos.pt

Barrancos (European Portuguese: [bɐˈʁɐ̃kuʃ] ⓘ Barranquenho: Barrancu),[1] officially the Town of Barrancos (Portuguese: Vila de Barrancos), is a town and a municipality in southeastern Portugal, by the Spanish border. With a population of 1,438 as of 2021, it is the least populated municipality in Continental Portugal.[2] Covering an area of 168.42 square kilometres (65.03 sq mi),[3] Barrancos is one of only six Portuguese municipalities comprising a single civil parish.

The area has been inhabited since prehistoric times, with archaeological evidence dating back to the Paleolithic. During the Middle Ages, urbanization was centered around the Castle of Noudar, a fortress that changed hands between Portugal and Castile until its definitive incorporation into Portugal in 1295. In the 19th century, the administrative center shifted to Barrancos, which became the seat of the municipality.

Barrancos has a distinctive cultural identity shaped by centuries of cross-border interaction. It is known for the Barranquenho language, and for its annual Fêra de Barrancos, a festival combining religious and pagan traditions in honor of its patron saint, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. The town also holds the only bullfighting events in Portugal where killing the bull in the ring is permitted, under a legal exception granted in 2002.

Among its economic activities are agriculture and livestock rising, being a production center for Barrancos ham, a type of presunto (dry-cured ham), similar to the jamón ibérico, made from Black Iberian Pig (also known as Porco Alentejano).

The present Mayor is Leonel Caçador Rodrigues, elected by the Unitary Democratic Coalition.[4]

History

[edit]
Castle of Noudar

The area of present-day Barrancos has been inhabited since prehistoric times, with evidence of occupation dating back to the Chalcolithic and even the Paleolithic periods. Human occupation continued during the Roman, Visigothic and Moorish periods, as evidenced by artifacts.[5][6][7] In 1167, the territory was conquered by the Portuguese nobleman Gonçalo Mendes da Maia, during the reign of Afonso I.[5][6] Following the Christian reconquest, King Sancho I ordered the resettlement of the region in 1200. At that time, the municipal seat was established in the fortified village of Noudar, within the Castle of Noudar, located 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) northwest of Barrancos.[5]

During the 13th century, Noudar shifted hands between Portugal and Castile, as highlighted by the donation of the village by King Alfonso X of Castile to his daughter Beatrice on 4 March 1283.[6] The village was definitively incorporated into the Kingdom of Portugal in 1295, when King Denis issued a royal charter (foral) to Noudar, later confirmed by King Manuel I in 1513.[5][6]

At the time, the effective border between the two kingdoms remained undefined around Noudar. Instead, there was a common use border territory called Contenda de Moura, where the populations of both kingdoms were allowed to practice pastoral grazing.[8][9] Consequently, Castilian and Leonese settlers, under the protection of the Order of Avis from at least the 15th century, established themselves in the region and contributed to the development of a hybrid culture and the emergence of the Barranquenho language.[8] The official border at the Ardila River would only be settled in 1893, upon the dissolution and partition of the Contenda.[9][10]

Noudar endured repeated conflicts between Portugal and Castile including a period of Castilian occupation from 1707 to 1715. During the Portuguese Restoration War, the village of Barrancos suffered significant destruction between June and August 1641, when Portuguese forces, acting on royal orders, burned the settlement. This episode likely contributed to the loss of historical written records.[6]

From the early 19th century, Noudar began to decline as its military importance diminished, leading to a gradual depopulation.[5] By 1835, the administrative designation “municipality of Noudar and Barrancos” appeared, reflecting the shifting population center.[6] The administrative reforms of Mouzinho da Silveira in 1836 elevated Barrancos to the status of vila (town), effectively transferring the municipal seat from Noudar to Barrancos.[6]

Between 1896 and 1898, Barrancos was briefly merged into the municipality of Moura during an administrative reorganization, but its municipal status was restored in 1898.[5]

Geography

[edit]

Barrancos is located in the easternmost municipality in the Beja District and a part of the Alentejo region. It is bordered by the Portuguese municipalities of Moura to the east and south and Mourão to the northeast and by the Spanish municipalities of Jerez de los Caballeros to the north and Encinasola to the west.

Nature surrounding Castle of Noudar

The municipality of Barrancos lies within the boundaries of the Moura/Barrancos Natura 2000 site, a protected area established under the EU Habitats Directive in 1998. Covering an area of 43,290 hectares (107,000 acres), it is recognized for its high biodiversity and well-preserved Mediterranean ecosystems. The landscape is characterized by rolling hills and schist plateaus interspersed with holm oak woodlands and cork oak groves. These habitats sustain a mosaic of scrublands, natural grasslands, and riparian vegetation along seasonal watercourses such as the Ardila, Murtega, and Murtigão rivers. The site is of national importance for the conservation of cave-dwelling bats, including maternity colonies of Mehely’s horseshoe bat, greater mouse-eared bat, and Schreiber’s bat , and it serves as the principal winter refuge for several Rhinolophus species in Portugal. Its watercourses support endemic and threatened freshwater species, such as the saramugo, the southern straight-mouth nase , and the Eurasian otter. Historically a habitat for the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus), the area retains suitable conditions for potential recolonization or reintroduction of the species.[11]

Demographics

[edit]
Population of Barrancos (1864–2021)
YearPop.±%
18641,994—    
18782,372+19.0%
18902,581+8.8%
19002,659+3.0%
19112,753+3.5%
19202,999+8.9%
19303,210+7.0%
19403,489+8.7%
19503,624+3.9%
19603,429−5.4%
19702,610−23.9%
19812,157−17.4%
19912,052−4.9%
20011,924−6.2%
20111,834−4.7%
20211,438−21.6%
Source: INE[2][12][13][14][15][16]

As of 2021, Barrancos was the least populated municipality in Continental Portugal, hosting only 1,438 inhabitants.[2] The municipality is suffering the fastest decline in population in the country, having reported a 21.6% decline in just ten years.[17] Like many municipalities in the interior of the country, Barrancos is experiencing significant population aging, with 27% of its inhabitants being over 64 years old, compared to the national average of 23%.[2]

Culture and language

[edit]

Barrancos has a distinctive cultural identity shaped by its location on the Portuguese–Spanish border and centuries of cross-cultural interaction. Cultural practices in Barrancos display Spanish influences, particularly in oral traditions, music, cuisine, and local festivals. This hybrid identity has historically set Barrancos apart from neighboring Portuguese communities. Anthropological studies have noted that locals often see themselves as distinct from both Portuguese and Spanish, and outsiders have described the town as culturally and linguistically unique.[8]

The most notable expression of this hybrid heritage is the Barranquenho language, a mixed variety arising from sustained contact between southern Portuguese and Spanish dialects.[8] The Barranquenho language is primarily oral and exhibits features from both Portuguese and Spanish in its phonology, syntax, and lexicon. Examples include the placement of clitic pronouns and the use of Spanish vocabulary and grammatical structures within predominantly Portuguese sentences. Despite being traditionally referred to as a dialect or border speech, recent linguistic research considers Barranquenho a minority language in its own right, albeit one that is endangered due to demographic decline and assimilation pressures.[8] Efforts to preserve and revitalize the language include its protection since 2021, including the right to learn it in Portuguese schools and the language's designation as Municipal Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2008.[8][18]

Praça da Liberdade

Barrancos' culture also differs from the rest of Portugal in its bullfighting traditions, as it is the only location where killing of the bull in the ring is permitted, a practice commonly referred to as Spanish style.[8][19] This practice, once prevalent in the country was phased out in 1840 and officially banned in 1928.[20] However, it continued being practiced thereafter in the municipality, eventually leading to an official exception in 2002.[19] The controversy surrounding this tradition in the late 20th century sparked strong community solidarity and was a catalyst for greater awareness of Barranquenho identity and cultural autonomy.[8] Nonetheless, in present day, the practice of bullfighting in Barrancos and the rest of the country remains a heated point of debate, due to concerns over animal suffering.[19][21]

Barrancos’ municipal holiday, celebrated on 28 August, coincides with the Fêra de Barrancos, a three-day festival held in honor of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (Nossa Senhora da Conceição), the town’s patron saint, combining religious and pagan elements, including bullfighting events.[22][23] The religious aspect of the event includes a mass in the parish church and a procession through the streets. The bullfighting events start in the morning with encerros, when bulls are led through the streets to the improvised bullring in Praça da Liberdade, a central square. In the evenings, matadors face the bulls in front of large crowds, and the final day traditionally ends with a vacada, where a cow is fought by amateur bullfighters before being killed in the arena.[23]

Notable people

[edit]
  • Paulo Guerra (born 1970 in Barrancos) a Portuguese former long-distance runner who specialized in the 0,0001 metres and cross-country running
[edit]
  • Barrancos presunto
    Barrancos presunto
  • Barrancos parochial church
    Barrancos parochial church
  • Castle of Noudar uphill
    Castle of Noudar uphill
  • Monument to the bull
    Monument to the bull

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Diaz-Campos, Manuel (2011). The Handbook of Hispanic Sociolinguistics. John Wiley & Sons. p. 402. ISBN 9781444393439. I ah pesóah mái idoza de Barrancu, a mái belha falom quazi todah a ehpanhola, nãu falom barranquenhu. Agora é que ja bãu falandu barranquenhu. [...] And the most aged people in Barrancos, the oldest, they almost all speak Spanish, they don't speak Barranquenho. It's now that they are beginning to speak Barranquenho.
  2. ^ a b c d INE (2021). "Censos". Instituto Nacional de Estatística. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  3. ^ "Áreas das freguesias, concelhos, distritos e país". Archived from the original on 2018-11-05. Retrieved 2018-11-05.
  4. ^ "Membros do Executivo". Câmara Municipal de Barrancos. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "História" [History]. Câmara Municipal de Barrancos (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g "Rede de Arquivos: A história de Barrancos descrita nos documentos do arquivo histórico" [Archival Network: The history of Barrancos described on documents in the historical archive]. Diário do Alentejo (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  7. ^ "Museu Municipal de Arqueologia e Etnografia de Barrancos" [Barrancos' Municipal Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology]. Câmara Municipal de Barrancos (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h Sánchez-Élez, María Victoria Navas; Gonçalves, Maria Filomena (2020-07-30). "Caracterização e problemas atuais do barranquenho: contribuições para uma política de revitalização". Estudos de Lingüística Galega (in Portuguese). 12: 179–199. doi:10.15304/elg.12.6040. ISSN 1989-578X.
  9. ^ a b "Herdade da Contenda | LTsER Montado". www.ltsermontado.pt. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  10. ^ A Abertura e Exploração da Mina de Azougue de Coina, no Final do Século XVIII, em Duas Plantas da Mapoteca do Instituto Geográfico e Cadastral (in Brazilian Portuguese). UC Biblioteca Geral 1.
  11. ^ "Moura / Barrancos". BISE. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  12. ^ INE (2001). "Censos". Instituto Nacional de Estatística. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  13. ^ INE (1996). "Região do Alentejo". Censos 1991. XIII Recenseamento Geral da População. III Recenseamento Geral da Habitação. Resultados definitivos [Census 1991. XIII General Population Census. III General Housing Census. Definitive results.] (in European Portuguese). Lisbon. p. 19. Retrieved 2025-07-04.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  14. ^ INE (1984). "Distrito de Beja". XII Recenseamento Geral da População. II Recenseamento Geral da Habitação. Resultados definitivos: 1981 [XII General Population Census. II General Housing Census. Definitive Results: 1981] (in European Portuguese). Lisbon. p. 3. Retrieved 22 November 2024.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  15. ^ INE (1971). "1º Volume". 11º Recenseamento da População. 1º Recenseamento da Habitação: continente e ilhas: 1970 [11th Population Census. 1st Housing Census: mainland and islands: 1970] (in European Portuguese). Lisbon. p. 5. Retrieved 2025-07-04.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  16. ^ INE (1964). "Tomo I Volume 1º". X Recenseamento Geral da População no continente e ilhas adjacentes às 0 horas de 15 de Dezembro de 1960 [10th General Population Census in the mainland and adjacent islands as of 12:00 AM on December 15, 1960] (in European Portuguese). Lisbon. p. 16. Retrieved 2025-07-04.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  17. ^ Lusa, Marta Leite Ferreira, Agência. "Censos 2021 revelam que Portugal tem menos 214 mil residentes do que em 2011. Saldo migratório positivo não compensa esta perda". Observador (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-07-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  18. ^ "PR promulga proteção de barranquenho". Expresso (in Portuguese). 2021-12-19. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  19. ^ a b c Dias, Carlos (2019-09-22). ""Que ninguém pense acabar com os touros de morte em Barrancos"". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  20. ^ DN, Redação (2018-12-10). "Sabe por que Portugal deixou de matar touros na arena?". Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  21. ^ Ribeiro, Ana Isabel (2024-05-15). "Maioria dos portugueses, franceses e espanhóis é contra as touradas, revela inquérito". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  22. ^ Diário do Governo n.º 176/1972, Série I de 1972-07-29 (in European Portuguese). Ministério do Interior - Direcção-Geral de Administração Política e Civil. 1972-07-29. pp. 975–976. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  23. ^ a b Renascença (2019-08-27). "Festas de Barrancos com touros de morte começam esta semana" [Celebrations in Barrancos with bull killings start this week]. Rádio Renascença (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-07-04.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Barrancos&oldid=1299031715"