Portugal: Santarém

Santarém is de hoofdstad van het gelijknamige district in de provincie Ribatejo in centraal Portugal. Een grote stad is het niet: er wonen ongeveer 30.000 mensen. Niettemin heeft Santarém veel interessante monumenten en is de stad daarom beslist een bezoek waard. U moet er alleen niet op maandagen of dinsdagen…

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Relative Peace: The Year 185 BCE

Summary Lucius Manlius Acidinus celebrates an ovatio for his victories in Nearer Spain; The consuls Appius Claudius Pulcher and Marcus Sempronius Tuditanus campaign against the Ligurian tribes; The praetor Lucius Postumius puts down a slave rebellion in Apulia; After first suffering a reverse, the praetors Gaius Calpurnius Piso and Lucius…

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Portugal: Torre de Belém

It is perhaps a little hard to believe that the Torre de Belém was actually built as a fortress to protect the mouth of the Tagus river, the gateway to Lisbon. The tower is so beautifully decorated with Manueline and Renaissance elements, that it could easily have been part of…

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Portugal: Padrão dos Descobrimentos

Belém is a historically important part of Lisbon near the mouth of the river Tagus. The name Belém means ‘Bethlehem’ in Portuguese. This parts of Lisbon is known for its cultural and historical heritage, such as the famous Jerónimos Monastery and the Torre de Belém, a tower guarding the mouth…

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Portugal: Santarém

Santarém is the capital of the Santarém District in the Ribatejo region in central Portugal. It is by no means a large city, with a population of about 30.000. Yet it has many interesting monuments and is definitely worth a visit. Just do not go there on a Monday or…

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