Serpa is a Portuguese city belonging to the district of Beja, region of Alentejo and sub-region of Baixo Alentejo with around 14,000 inhabitants, Portugal
The municipality of Serpa is divided into 5 parishes: Brinches, Pias, Serpa (Salvador and Santa Maria), Vila Nova de São Bento and Vale de Vargo and Vila Verde de Ficalho.
The municipality is limited to the north by the municipality of Vidigueira, to the northeast by Moura, to the east by Spain, to the south by Mértola and to the west by Beja.
The characteristic soils of the peneplain where Serpa is located are deep, derived from basic eruptive rocks of the gabbro-dioritic complex of the Beja region, rich in phosphorus, containing high proportions of clay (mud) and of high productivity.
In the city of Serpa, three distinct geomorphological spaces can be distinguished: the first corresponds to the clay lands that surround the city and its immediate border, and the second comprises the undulating reliefs of poor and schist soils of the so-called Serra de Serpa located south of the municipality between the Guadiana river and the Chança river.
The third defined by the residual relief formed by three parallel ridges of metamorphic limestone with a Hercynian NNW-SSE orientation that extend from the border reaching a maximum altitude of 518 meters in Serra de Ficalho.
Serpa was already populated before the Romans ruled it, however they were the ones who encouraged the development of the municipality, especially at an agricultural level.
In 1166 Serpa was conquered from the Moors by D. Afonso Henriques and was lost several times in the constant struggles of the Reconquista.
Serpa was definitively established as a municipality by D. Dinis, who also had his castle rebuilt and surrounded Serpa by a belt of walls in 1295.
In the year 1513, Serpa received the charter from D. Manuel, who before becoming king had been lord of Serpa and the charter mainly insists on the tax burden.
Reading the Manueline charter suggests that Serpa was, at the beginning of the 16th century, a town where pastoralism persisted as an activity of great relevance but in which crafts and commercial activities reached a high level of development.
In the year 1674, the prince regent and future king D. Pedro II conferred on the town the title and privileges of "Notable Village", justified by the number of residents (+ 1500), the nobility of the people, leaving many distinguished men in letters and weapons and by the strategic military position it occupied and elevated to the category of city on August 26th.
The main attractions are: the Castle of Serpa, the Main Church of Serpa (Church of Santa Maria), the Clock Museum, the Clock Tower, the Stairs of Santa Maria, the Palace of the Counts of Ficalho, the Ethnographic Museum of Serpa, the Serpa Aqueduct, the Hermitage of Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe and the Ribeira de Enxoé.
The municipality is limited to the north by the municipality of Vidigueira, to the northeast by Moura, to the east by Spain, to the south by Mértola and to the west by Beja.
The characteristic soils of the peneplain where Serpa is located are deep, derived from basic eruptive rocks of the gabbro-dioritic complex of the Beja region, rich in phosphorus, containing high proportions of clay (mud) and of high productivity.
In the city of Serpa, three distinct geomorphological spaces can be distinguished: the first corresponds to the clay lands that surround the city and its immediate border, and the second comprises the undulating reliefs of poor and schist soils of the so-called Serra de Serpa located south of the municipality between the Guadiana river and the Chança river.
The third defined by the residual relief formed by three parallel ridges of metamorphic limestone with a Hercynian NNW-SSE orientation that extend from the border reaching a maximum altitude of 518 meters in Serra de Ficalho.
Serpa was already populated before the Romans ruled it, however they were the ones who encouraged the development of the municipality, especially at an agricultural level.
In 1166 Serpa was conquered from the Moors by D. Afonso Henriques and was lost several times in the constant struggles of the Reconquista.
Serpa was definitively established as a municipality by D. Dinis, who also had his castle rebuilt and surrounded Serpa by a belt of walls in 1295.
In the year 1513, Serpa received the charter from D. Manuel, who before becoming king had been lord of Serpa and the charter mainly insists on the tax burden.
Reading the Manueline charter suggests that Serpa was, at the beginning of the 16th century, a town where pastoralism persisted as an activity of great relevance but in which crafts and commercial activities reached a high level of development.
In the year 1674, the prince regent and future king D. Pedro II conferred on the town the title and privileges of "Notable Village", justified by the number of residents (+ 1500), the nobility of the people, leaving many distinguished men in letters and weapons and by the strategic military position it occupied and elevated to the category of city on August 26th.
The main attractions are: the Castle of Serpa, the Main Church of Serpa (Church of Santa Maria), the Clock Museum, the Clock Tower, the Stairs of Santa Maria, the Palace of the Counts of Ficalho, the Ethnographic Museum of Serpa, the Serpa Aqueduct, the Hermitage of Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe and the Ribeira de Enxoé.
