Loures is a small town located in the big metropolitan Lisboa region, traditionally known as the “Saloia” region, serving for long years, the town of Lisboa with fresh vegetables and other agricultural products.
The fertile soils, the water abundance and the purity of the fresh countryside air moulded since early times this region that always grew up on Lisboa’s environs, often chosen by nobles and monarchs as a leisure place and somewhere to go to in case of hilliness and plagues, do to this pure fresh air.
The many farms and big estates (Quintas) denote these times and the agricultural importance, as it still possible to observe in the 18th century Palace and Quinta do Correio-Mor and in the Quinta do Conventinho (that was built on a Franciscan Convent) where is located nowadays the interesting municipal museum, with temporary exhibitions, and archaeological and ethnographic collections.
This region is also rich in archaeological vestiges from ancient times, like the Palaeolithic Station of Casal do Monte in Santo António dos Cavaleiros or the Casaínhos Anta, in Fanhões.
This agricultural and rural feature has been transforming since the 20th century, with the growing of the urban Lisboa’s area that has stretched out until this region that is now developing its urban and residential area. Nevertheless throughout the region the agricultural inheritance is still quite clear, with many windmills, rural houses, wine and olive presses, cellars…
The 16th century Mother Church is worth the visit, as well as the manueline pillory from the 15th century, or the charming small rural houses of the historical centre that nowadays live among the traditional commerce and services shops.
Loures is also known as a Republican land, once the Republic implantation here happened one day before the rest of the country, on the 4th October 1910, when the Loures republican proclaimed the establishment of the new regime, in the charming town hall building.
In what concerns to the Gastronomy of the region, Loures is famous on its “Pão-de-Lo”, a light cake with egg custard cream, but also offers a varied restaurant offer, with dishes like chicken rice, codfish, rabbit, among many others, always served with the prestige Bucelas wine, produced in the fertile vineyards of the northern Loures region.
