Setúbal

Name

There are currently many possible origins for the name Setúbal, the main ones being:

• A compound of Seth (Adam's third son) and Tubal (Noah's grandson);
• A compound of Seth and Tubal (not to be confused with the biblical figure), who populated Iberia after the Flood, according to Friar Bernardo de Brito, as indicated in a passage from his book Monarquia Lusitana – our Kingdom was the earliest to be settled, and Setúbal the place where people first established dwellings and a common community (Brito 1597: 7). Josephus also suggests the same in his History of the Hebrews, connecting the origin of the name with one of the Iberian peoples, the Tubalines;
• A derivation of the Romanised term 'Cetóbriga' (Ceto + the Celtic designation briga for a fortified settlement), which became Setúbal through phonetic change. In Memória sobre a História e a Administração do Município de Setúbal (1877), written by Alberto Pimentel, it is suggested that the term Setúbal is a corruption of Cetóbriga, a Turdetani settlement that came under Roman control in the province of Lusitania.
• According to some authors (such as José Hermano Saraiva), as with other Iberian and southern European towns, the place name 'Setúbal' may be related to the name of the river (Sado or Sadão) that flows past the settlement, referred to by the Arab geographer al-Idrisi as Xetubre. If the place name Setúbal is indeed related to the river name, its origin may lie in the word Ketovion, as Montexano suggests.

From the Neolithic to the Christian reconquest

Setúbal was born of the river and the sea. Records of human occupation in the municipality date back to prehistory, with numerous remains dating from the Neolithic onwards having been found at various sites. It was visited by Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians, who came to Iberia in search of salt and tin, particularly to Alcácer do Sal, a settlement as far as which the river was then navigable.

During the Roman occupation, Setúbal underwent considerable development. The Romans established fish-salting factories and pottery kilns in the settlement, further developing these industries.

The fall of the Roman Empire, the barbarian invasions and constant coastal piracy caused the settlement to stagnate or even disappear altogether, between the 6th and 12th centuries there are no records of the settlement, wedged in as it would have been between Christian Palmela and Arab Alcácer do Sal.

Reconquest until late 16th century

Alcácer do Sal was reconquered by the Christians in 1217. The settlement of Setúbal was incorporated into the territory of the Order of Santiago and came under its protection, after which it began to prosper again.

In March 1249, Setúbal received a municipal charter, granted by the Order of Santiago, which held lordship over this region, and signed by Dom Paio Peres Correia, Master of the Order of Santiago, and Gonçalo Peres, commander of Mértola.

During the several centuries in which the settlement of Setúbal languished in obscurity as Palmela and Alcácer do Sal grew in population and in military, economic and geographical importance, making successive incursions into Setúbal's territory and occupying it.

In the first half of the 14th century, the settlement of Setúbal, whose territory was relatively small, had to assert itself through struggles with these two municipalities which had already been established. This dispute between neighbours ended with an agreement demarcating its own territory in 1343 (during the reign of Afonso IV). A wall was built, leaving the suburbs of Troino (to the west) and Palhais (to the east) outside it.

In the following century, the royalty and nobility of the time established seasonal residences in Setúbal. The Age of Discoveries and conquests in Africa brought considerable development to Setúbal. In 1458, Afonso V and his army departed from its port to conquer Ksar es-Seghir. Throughout the 15th century, the town developed various economic activities, chiefly connected with shipbuilding and maritime trade, earning substantial revenues from the duties charged on entry into the port.

The construction of the Convent of Jesus and its church dates from the late 15th and early 16th centuries, a period of substantial national development. Founded by Justa Rodrigues Pereira to house the female Franciscan order of Saint Clare, it was the architectural work of Master Diogo Boitaca, who also worked on the Jerónimos Monastery.

It was also during the reign of John II that work began on Praça do Sapal (now Praça de Bocage, a landmark of the city) and, in 1487, on an aqueduct bringing water to the town. These works were subsequently completed or enlarged by Manuel I, who revised the town's charter in 1514.

The title of "notável villa" ("notable town") was granted in 1525 by John III. This title enabled the construction of the Town Hall between 1526 and 1533 and the creation, in 1553, by a letter from the Archbishop of Lisbon, Dom Fernando, of two new parishes, São Sebastião and Anunciada, which joined the existing parishes of São Julião and Santa Maria da Graça.

In 1580, the town supported Dom António, Prior of Crato, against the prospect of Philip II of Spain taking the Portuguese throne. It was then besieged by Spanish troops under the Duke of Alba. Philip II visited the town two years later and ordered the construction of the Fort of São Filipe (a work by Filippo Terzi).

17th Century to the present

During the 17th century, Setúbal reached the height of its prosperity, when salt assumed a leading role as a medium of exchange and as payment for the military assistance provided to Portugal by European states during and after the wars of the Restoration of Independence. In response to this growth, new walls were built around Setúbal after 1640, encompassing new areas such as Troino and Palhais.

This prosperity was interrupted by the earthquake of 1755, which badly affected the parishes of São Julião and Anunciada.

Only in the 19th century did Setúbal regain its lost momentum. The railway arrived in 1860, and work also began on land reclamation along the river and the construction of a grand boulevard, the Avenida Luísa Todi. The first factories canning sardines in olive oil began operating in this century, while Setúbal's oranges and muscatel wine also became famous. On 19 April 1860, it was also elevated to city status by Pedro V.

Setúbal's flourishing during the 20th century was reflected in the creation of new urban spaces: the expansion of Avenida Luísa Todi and part of Avenida dos Combatentes, and the creation of the Salgado, Monarquina, São Nicolau, Conceição, Carmona, Liceu and Montalvão neighbourhoods. It was also reflected in the development of the canning, fertiliser, cement, pulp, shipbuilding and heavy metalworking industries.

Setúbal became the seat of a district on 22 December 1926 and the seat of a diocese on 16 July 1975.

Civil parishes

Administratively, the municipality is divided into five civil parishes (freguesias):

• Azeitão (São Lourenço e São Simão)
• Gâmbia – Pontes – Alto da Guerra
• Sado [pt]
• São Julião, Nossa Senhora da Anunciada e Santa Maria da Graça
• São Sebastião

Public Service

• Diogo Fernandes Pereira (ca.15C-ca.16C) a 16th-century navigator; in 1503 the first European captain to visit the island of Socotra and discovered the Mascarenes archipelago (Réunion, Mauritius, and Rodrigues) in 1507
• José Travassos Valdez, 1st Count of Bonfim (1787–1862) soldier, politician, Prime Minister of Portugal, 1839 to 1841
• Rui Machete (born 1940) a Portuguese politician and Govt. minister

Religion

• Dom Américo Aguiar is a Cardinal-elector of the Roman Catholic Church, and bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Setúbal, who is resident at the Our Lady of Grace Cathedral, Setúbal

The Arts

• Manuel Maria Barbosa du Bocage (1765–1805), notable satirical and classical poet.
• Luisa Todi (1753–1833), a Portuguese mezzo-soprano opera singer
• João Vaz (1859–1931), a painter and decorator who specialized in maritime subjects.
• Roy Campbell (1901–1957), a South African poet, died nearby in a car accident.
• Sebastião da Gama (1924–1952), a Portuguese poet, he wrote about the Arrábida Natural Park
• Lima de Freitas (1927–1998), Portuguese painter, illustrator, ceramicist and writer.
• Zeca Afonso (1929–1987), singer and songwriter, lived, worked and died in the city
• Manuela Couto (born 1964), a Portuguese actress on TV, cinema and theatre.
• Luís Buchinho (born 1969), a Portuguese fashion designer.
• Roman Konoplev (born 1973), a Russian and Transnistrian writer and publicist.
• Mazgani (born 1974), an Iranian-Portuguese singer-songwriter.
• Sofia Vitória (born 1979), singer of Jazz & World Music
• Sabrina (born 1982), represented Portugal at the Eurovision Song Contest 2007.
• Cátia Mazari Oliveira (born 1983), better known by her artistic name A Garota Não, a Portuguese singer-songwriter.
• André Marques (born 1984), writer and director.
• Filipa Barroso, (Wiki PT) (born 1998), model and Miss Portuguesa 2017
• Matilde Lima, (Wiki PT) (born 1999), model and Miss Universo Portugal 2017

Sport

• Francisco Santos (footballer) (1904 - ?)
• Oceana Zarco (1911–2008), first Portuguese female professional cyclist, in 1925
• Jaime Graça (1942–2012), a footballer and coach with 303 club caps and 36 for Portugal
• Silvino Louro (born 1959), a former footballer with 408 club caps and 23 for Portugal
• José Mourinho (born 1963), distinguished football manager, head coach of Real Madrid.
• Fernando Mendes (born 1966), a former footballer with 350 club caps and 11 for Portugal
• Bruno Ribeiro (born 1975), a football manager and former player with 305 club caps
• Bruno Lage (born 1976), a football manager.
• Susana Costa (born 1984), a Portuguese athlete specialising in the triple jump
• Marco Soares (born 1984), a footballer with over 420 club caps and 52 for Cape Verde
• José Semedo (born 1985), a former footballer with 466 club caps and 11 for Portugal U-21