Alcântara

Alcântara is a civil parish of the city and municipality of Lisbon. Its name is derived from the Arabic, meaning the bridge, and refers to an ancient Roman bridge that once existed there, until the reign of John V. Located in the southwestern corner of Lisbon, along the northern margin of the Tagus River, Alcântara had a population in 2011 of 13,943, in an area of 5.07 km².HistoryPrimitive utensils from the Paleolithic era have been discovered on the margins of the Alcãntara ravine, and signs in the area of Alvito and indicate a level of occupation in the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods. Around 1300, Bronze Age farmers and shepherds established small villages in this area, with a subsistence economy based on herding and the cultivation of cereal crops.During the Roman era, the local area was called Horta Navia in honour of the Roman divinity Nabia, a goddess of rivers and water. The area was notable for a Roman bridge across the Alcântara ravine and, following the Muslim occupation, the area began to be referred to in terms of this bridge. The name Alcântara, derived from the Arab al-qantara (القنطارة) means bridge.MedievalAfter the Reconquista of Lisbon (1147), the area became integrated into the Reguengos de Ribamar that included terrain that extended from the Alcântara ravine to the Laje ravine in Oeiras. After the 13th century, the Reguengos was divided in two and the area of Alcântara was attributed, in gratitude by the King, to the nobility, religious orders or military. Yet, Alcântara became a battlefield in conflicts between Portugal and Castile, which included intrigues involving King Ferdinand and conflicts with the Kingdom of Castile after his death.