Santa Clara-a-Velha, São Martinho das Amoreiras, Vale de Santiago and Zambujeira do Mar are the four towns in the municipality that the Municipality of Odemira has just nominated for five categories in the competition “7 Wonders of Portugal – Villages”.
The four locations were submitted to competition in the categories of Riverside Villages, Authentic Villages, Rural Villages, Sea Villages and Villages in Protected Areas.
With this candidacy, the Municipality of Odemira says it intends to «promote the villages and the territory and, therefore, the collective identity of the municipality».
Santa Clara-a-Velha competes in the category of “Riverside Villages”. This white and flowery village, in the interior of the county, developed around the Church of Santa Clara de Assis (XNUMXth century), next to the fertile lands of the valley of the river Mira.
Water plays a decisive role in the locality's identity, with the Santa Clara dam built by the Estado Novo being a reference point, whose reservoir covers an area of 1986 hectares, one of the largest in Europe.
In the “Authentic Villages” category, Saint Martin of Amoreiras. Its interior reflects a markedly mountainous landscape, where the forest predominates, highlighting agriculture, livestock, beekeeping, olive growing and cork extraction, as well as singing, and the village preserves much of its original identity, being guardian of customs and ancient knowledge.
It is inhabited by campaniça viola players, men who sing to the bucket and strip, popular poets, beekeepers, cork harvesters, medronho producers, authentic people, like your village.
Santiago Valley is the competitor to “Rural Villages”. This village in the interior of the municipality of Odemira takes its name from the Order of Santiago, to which its fields and valleys belonged.
It has a beautiful layout of narrow, whitewashed streets, preserving its traditional architecture. In the village there is the Church of Santa Catarina, the fountain of Nossa Senhora da Luz and, around it, the cork oak forest, a characteristic and inspiring natural setting.
From the coast of the county, the Municipality of Odemira applied for the village of Zambujeira do Mar in two categories, “Sea Villages” and “Villages in Protected Areas”.
Zambujeira do Mar is a maritime village, with concentrated and harmonious houses, which found its source of inspiration in the sea. Surrounded by beaches and imposing cliffs, its maritime identity is marked by the dexterity of its fishing community and the traditional arts preserved over generations.
It is part of the Natural Park of Southwest Alentejo and Costa Vicentina, which protects a unique wild flora and fauna. In 2012, Praia da Zambujeira do Mar was elected the Best Urban Beach in the country and the Natural Park that protects it was, in 2010, a finalist in Maravilhas Naturais, in the scope of the 7 Wonders competition.
On the 7th of April the 49 pre-finalist villages of the 7 Maravilhas Portugal contest will be known, and between the 9th of July and the 20th of August the 14 finalists will be chosen.
Voting in each of the categories of the 7 Wonders of Portugal – Villages takes place between the 20th of August and the Final Gala, which will be held on the 3rd of September.
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