Entroncamento is a Ribatejo’s town, situated in the Central region of Portugal, developed due to the railway influence.
In fact, this is a recent settlement with a fast development. It was founded with the development of the 19th century Railway, due to the creation of the Northern Line and the bifurcation with the Eastern Line.
Entroncamento serves the junction of two important railway lines: the one that links Lisboa to Porto and the one that links the northern line to Spain.
All the town, therefore, developed from and with the railway, with workmen from all over the Country, and also new visitors that had to stop for the train junction. New workmen quarters were built and commerce, accesses and services progressed quickly.
Entroncamento is proud of its heritage with highlights such as the Mother Church, the São João Baptista Chapel, the Wrokmen Quarters of Estação and Camões, the Park and Fountain of Bonito, the Viewpoint and Park José Pereira Caldas.
This town, that itself is like a Railway live museum (with several references to the railway throughout the region), a new museum is being built: the Railway National Museum. Yet, it is possible to visit the museum-rooms Jenny Mendes de Brito in the Municipal Library, or the lovely building of the ancient School of the Railway, a project of the architect Cottinelli Telmo (1897-1948).
Entroncamento also got much media attention during the 20th century, being known as the “phenomenon land”, as here many fantastic and supernatural histories were reported.
