Queluz, Portugal


Queluz is a city within the Sintra Municipality, on the Portuguese Riviera, in the Lisbon metropolitan area of Portugal. It is famed as the home of Queluz National Palace, the 18th century pleasure palace of the Portuguese Royal Family, as well as notable institutions like the Portuguese School of Equestrian Art. Queluz had a population 78,273 inhabitants in 2001.
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History

The origin of the name Queluz has been disputed over time. The prevailing thesis, by David Lim and José Pedro Machado, suggests that the name had its origin in the Arabic terms câ and Llûs, affirming the suggestion that it was in The Valley of the Almond Tree. However, another suggestion, has it as forming from the Mountain of Light, Monte Abraão, where worship of the sun was common.
Human occupation of this area dates back to the Late Neolithic or early Chalcolithic, owing to the number of Neolithic monuments and vestiges from abandoned settlements unearthed by archeologists. These earliest date established to this settlement was 4200 B.C., followed by comparable settlements in 2000 B.C..
In the year 1147, when Afonso I of Portugal forces conquered the city of Lisbon, a similar campaign within the Sintra mountains effectively captures the heath of Queluz, bringing the lands under Christian control.
From the first century until the 18th century, the region was primarily agrarian, occupied by homes, farms and few estates established by the clergy and/or nobility.
In the 18th century, Infante Pedro of Braganza, in his capacity as Lord of the House of the Infantado, acquired an estate in Queluz, previously belonging to the Marquis of Castelo Rodrigo, and subsequently built a humble hunting lodge. Following his marriage to Queen Maria I of Portugal, the estate was radically expanded into the Rococo pleasure palace, today known as the Queluz National Palace.
Following the transfer of the Portuguese Royal Court to Queluz, during the reign of Queen Maria I and King Pedro III, numerous members of the Portuguese nobility established estates and palaces in the area, Sintra being the longtime retreat of the Portuguese aristocracy.

Culture

Between July and August there is a free fair outside the D. Maria Pousada that recreates the golden age of the Queluz National Palace. The Feira Setecentista recreates the reign of Queen Mary I of Portugal, and transports visitors back into a period where artisans and merchants produced arts and crafts. Choral concerts are also common to Sunday afternoons at Queluz National Palace, owing to the three choirs in the city.
Similarly, the Monte Abraão Fair is the biggest in Queluz, allowing the sale of clothes, handicrafts, fruits and vegetables, flowers and implements.

Sport

The biggest and most known teams in Queluz are Real Sport Clube, CA Queluz and JOMA.
Real Sport Clube is Queluz's local football team, CA Queluz is for basketball, and JOMA's main sport is athletics.
Real Sport Clube plays on the Segunda Liga.
CA Queluz were Portuguese basketball champions in 1984 and 2005. They also won the Portuguese Cup in 1983 and 2005, completing the double.
JOMA have been Portuguese champions in both individual and collective athletics competitions.

Geography

Crossed by Jamor river, the city is interspersed by various parks, with three in the district: two in the civil parish of Queluz and the other in Massamá:
  • Forest of Queluz is a small enclosed, isolated wooded area. It covers 21 hectares, and is sustained due to its public use, ecological wealth and as a relic of vegetation climate.
  • Salgueiro Maia Park is a small one-hectare park. It is open from 9:30 in the morning to early evening, 8:00 p.m. It has manicured lawns, an amphitheatre and a playground, that is also used for sport.
  • Felício Loureiro Park, another emblematic park, is fairly wooded and equipped for recreation, leisure and exercise. It is divided into two zones: the first extends along the river Jamor and includes the a sculpture of José Pedro Croft; the second includes an exercise circuit, as well as manicured grassy areas used for recreation and leisure.

Climate

Queluz has a micro-climate that is classified as an Upper Thermo-Mediterranean sub-humid type, with average annual precipitation of.

Transport

With three train stations on the Sintra Line, Queluz falls within the Sintra-Lisbon corridor, with connections to Amadora and Sintra.
Vimeca bus lines connect Queluz to Oeiras, Lisbon, Amadora and Carcavelos.
Taxi services within Queluz are handled from the centralized "taxi squares" and services achieved from telephone services.

Notable citizens