Tavira |
Useful information
|
Personal notes
|
Other opinions
|
Santa Maria church
Archaeological remains
With a rich history from its Phoenician (?) foundation, including Roman and Muslim occupation, Tavira is making a strong effort to collect signs of those times.
In several places, it's possible to see excavations, and important remains that are being studied and classified. The Islamic museum should be already open, and the Phoenician wall will be explained to visitors soon. |
City centre
Old market
Bandstand
For many decades, I don't see any band using a bandstand - different ways of fraternizing and performing, made them useless, but they remain a symbol of the good romantic days, embellishing gardens and enriching the youth's imagination, unable to understand why their grand parents used them instead of mp3 readers.
Tavira wisely preserved it, and it is the main detail in the small central garden. |
Carmo church
Carmo convent
Misericordia
Castle
Gilão river
Tavira is crossed by Gilão river, a small river that allows some agriculture. Its main point is the roman bridge in the centre of town,and, we may say, the baptism point.
Yes, there's a funny thing that I can't explain: Why does this river, named Séqua, arriving to the bridge, change its name to Gilão? Well, I couldn't explain but found a possible answer in www,geocaching.com (and other sites): "The Legend of River Gilão/Séqua |
Legend has it that at the time of the moorish occupation there was a moorish king in Tavira whose daughter was called Séqua. It is also said that at the time of the christian conquest of the kingdom of Algarve there was a handsome knight named Gilão. Gilão met Séqua and fell in love madly... however lived in fright of a forbidden love, a moorish princess and a christian knight.
But like love was very strong, the lovers me secretly, all the late night, over the bridge that joins the two banks of Tavira river. On one of these nights, the knight and the princess met up again over the bridge, when they were surprised by both factions, the christian military faction in one bank and the moorish military faction in the other. The knight and the princess were terrified as they are discovered, because they knew they would be accused of treason, then dramatically ended their lives. Séqua threw herself to one side of the bridge (upstream) and Gilão threw himself to the other side of the bridge (downstream). According to legend, they still drifting in the river.
This explains why the same river has two names: Séqua for the side of river's source and Gilão for the side of river mouth. Gilão and Séqua are ultimately the same waters and Tavira the fruit of your love."
But like love was very strong, the lovers me secretly, all the late night, over the bridge that joins the two banks of Tavira river. On one of these nights, the knight and the princess met up again over the bridge, when they were surprised by both factions, the christian military faction in one bank and the moorish military faction in the other. The knight and the princess were terrified as they are discovered, because they knew they would be accused of treason, then dramatically ended their lives. Séqua threw herself to one side of the bridge (upstream) and Gilão threw himself to the other side of the bridge (downstream). According to legend, they still drifting in the river.
This explains why the same river has two names: Séqua for the side of river's source and Gilão for the side of river mouth. Gilão and Séqua are ultimately the same waters and Tavira the fruit of your love."
Santiago church
Roman bridge
Closed to traffic since the flooding of 1989, this old bridge may be crossed by foot, linking both sides of Gião river right in the centre of town. It is one of the city's landmarks, but, though initially built in the 3rd century, this actual look comes from the 17th, so "Roman" is just an historic name.
|