Obidos, Portugal
History of the Town
308 B.C. - Foundation of the Town of Obidos by the Celts. lst. C. - The Romans took Obidos from the Celts. 5th. C. - Occupied by the Visigoths. 8th. C. - The Moors arrived. 1101-1148 - King Afonso Henriques took Obidos from the Moors. 1195 - This was probably the date when Obidos was granted its charter.
1210 - King Afonso II gave Obidos to his wife, Queen Urraca. 1246 - By remaining loyal to King Sancho II Obidos was given the title of "Most Noble and Eternally Loyal" which it has kept to this day. 1282 - King Dinis and Queen Isabel spent their nuptials in Obidos. Obidos was given as a wedding present to the Queen and from then on became part of the dowry of all Portuguese Queens until 1834.
1309 - Queen Isabel comes to Obidos. She orders the construction of the Chapel of St. Vincent, later the Church of St. John, institutes in this chapel the Brotherhood of the Holy Spirit and orders the building of houses near to the chapel for the curing of the leprous. 1422 - King John I signed the decree replacing the Age of Ceaser with the Age of Christ. 1441 - On the 5th August Prince Afonso (later King Afonso V) marries Princess Isabel. The bridegroom is 10 years old and the bride 8.
1462 - King Joao II comes to Obidos for the first time. 1491 - Queen Leonor retired to Obidos after the death of her son. 1498 - Queen Leonor founded the Misericordia (Almshouse) in Obidos. 1513 - King Manuel granted the town a new charter; the old Town Council was built (it now houses the Municipal Museum). 1525- Dom Joao de Noronha, the Town Mayor, dies.
1527 - King John III fostered teaching in Obidos and installed the chairs of Theology and Mathematics. 1560 - The Cardinal-King Henrique, passing through the town, orders the construction of a Franciscan Monastery, which today is the Estate of St. Michael. 1573 - Queen Catherine built the aqueduct, the public fountain in St. Mary's Square and the surrounding fountains. 1661 - Josefa d'Obidos painted "The Mystical Wedding of St. Catherine" retable for the Church of St. Mary.
1684 - Josefa d'Obidos dies on July the 22nd. 1755 - Obidos is damaged by the earthquake. 1808 - The Battle of Rolica, where Napoleon had his first defeat in the Peninsular Wars, was waged on the outskirts of town. 1834 - The House of the Queens is abolished. 1900/1910. D. Carlos (the reigning monarch) held great hunting expeditions on the lake, accompanied by Father Ant6nio Almeida, Chaplain of the Senhor da Pedra Church. 1910/1950 - Restoration of the battlement.
1960 (November) - Important ceremonies held in St. Peter's Church, on the occasion of the centenary of the death of Francisco Rafael Silveira Malhao. 1970 - (June) - inauguration of the Municipal Museum. 1973 - Preliminary meeting of the Armed Forces Movement held in the Obidense Musical Entertainment Society Saloon in Obidos. 1993 - Commencement of the restoration of the Town Hall Buildings.
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