Tavira Guide

Phoenician walls

At the end of the VIIIth century, a population of Semitic descent or culture, belonging to the group which classical sources refer to as the Phoenicians, arrived on the Peninsula which is today known as Colina de Santa Maria, the place where the city of Tavira was born. They settled here and built a wall.

Up to now, archaeological work carried out has only permitted this structure to be traced around an extension of approximately 12m, since this section is topped, in the South Eastern part, by a massive, quasi circular tower with a walk-through section, from which another block emerged, this one being narrower, facing in a SE-NW direction along approximately 9.6m (campaign of 1997).

At its base, the Phoenician wall has an elevation of 8m above the current sea level (Netos – Núcleo Museológico Fení­cio), between Calçada de D. Paio Peres Correia and Rua da Liberdade, and reaches a thickness of 9.5m. During its initial construction (end of VIIIth century AD), it had a thickness of about 4m, but was amplified, during the same century or the beginning of the following century, by means of another construction which added a slope to the internal face, following a line which was not completely parallel, and the thickness of which varied from 3.5m to 5.5m. This internal reinforcement was to lose its functionality by the end of the VIIth century, a period in which civil (or industrial) structures overrode it. (to be continued)

Legend:

1. Wall at the Phoenician section of the Municipal museum of Tavira (Netos).
2. Wall at Calçada D. Paio Peres Correia
3. Eastern wall/gate of the Phoenician wall
4. Wall in Cyclopean Taipa
5. Tower of Military Taipa
6. Plastered wall
7. Barbican
8. Barbican gate
9. Tower of Military Taipa
10. Connecting the bride to the albarrã tower
11. Tower of Military Taipa
12. Oca tower

The origin of Tavira goes back to 2000 B.C., during the occupation of the Algarve by the Moors. Tavira was of great importance then because of its fishing and fish salting industry.The Castle of Tavira (locally known as Castelo de Tavira) lies in the town historic centre. It’s unknown when the first castle at this site was built. Sources say in the VIII century B.C., a fortress was already being rebuilt by the Phoenicians in that place. The actual castle however probably dates back to the XII century.

There was a castle there when the town was conquered from the Moors on July 11 of 1239 by King D. Paio Peres Correia during the Reconquest of Algarve. In 1242 the castle was granted, by D. King Sancho II, to the Order of the Knights of Santiago who renounced this donation 30 years later. In 1293, and due to the importance of Tavira in the defence of pirate attacks, King D. Dinis ordered the remodeling and reconstruction of the Castle. In the 1755 earthquake the castle and town were massively destroyed.

Tavira Castle now consists of remains of two square towers, one octagonal tower and walls on three sides. None of the towers possess the characteristics of a keep although there surely must have been one. In the interior of the Castle lies now a small garden. You can climb to most of walls and towers. The castle can be visited, for free, during the daytime until 5:00pm.

There is a local legend in where is referred the existence of an enchanted Moorish female, which appears crying her destiny on the night of St. John (24th Of June – main city festivity). She would be the daughter of Aben-Fabila, Moorish governor which disappeared by magic after enchanting the daughter, when Tavira was conquered from the Moors. The story tells the Moorish governor intended to return, to conquer Tavira again and ransom his daughter, but he never did it.

The Castle offers an amazing view of Tavira (see post below about the “Tesouro” rooftops). Around the old town you can find several parts of towers and walls of the medieval city walls, these are not accessible to visits.

The Municipality of Tavira covering a total of 607,17Km² and 25,105 permanent residents, is composed by nine civil parishes, here listed alphabetically:

• Cabanas de Tavira
• Cachopo
• Conceição de Tavira
• Luz de Tavira
• Santa Catarina da Fonte do Bispo
• Santa Luzia
• Santo Estêvão
• Tavira – Santa Maria
• Tavira – Santiago

If you visit Tavira, make sure you plan a trip around the parishes in order to get a broader idea of the structure, History and culture of the city.

Visit the page about Tavira civil parishes to get an idea of the main attractions in each parish.