a city between visions: perspectives on the city of lagos - FAU

C i t i e s , n a t i o n s a n d r e g i o n s i n p l a n n i n g h i s t o r y
(or caliph Abd Al Rahman of Cordoba from 929), which gave the new urban form
to the <strong>city</strong> now called Zawala or Zawaia (lakes or wells) 6 rebuilding its walls 7 .
In 1241 was integrated in the Portuguese territory. Due to its privileged and
strategic location and magnificent bay (one of the largest open bays in Europe)
which could easily accommodate about 200 ships of war – from this port left the
fleet which conquered Ceuta in North Africa in 1415.
Figure 3- ALMEIDA, Leopoldo de (Portuguese sculptor, 1898-1975). CASTELO, Francisco
(Portuguese, Photographer). Statue of Henry the �avigator (1396-1460), in Lagos <strong>city</strong>, 1960,
Linestone and Bronze.
Lagos became officially a <strong>city</strong> by royal decree in the 16th century and was
already an important walled <strong>city</strong> when became the residence of the military
government of the Algarve 8 . The <strong>city</strong> reinforced its geographical and strategic
relevance in Portuguese and European context in the modern age. Lagos was
also the favorite place for Henry the Navigator (1396-1460) whose image is still
present in the contemporary <strong>city</strong>. His statue (1960) is a major monument
structured a central square near the <strong>city</strong> walls facing the marginal avenue near
the <strong>city</strong> walls, and also his resting place. Nowadays Lagos is still known as the
historic centre of the Portuguese Age of Discoveries, local and tourism
authorities emphasize this fact.
6 Lagos in portuguese means Lakes
7 See also: Guia de Portugal – Sant´anna Dionísio – II Estremadura, Alentejo e Portugal –
Gulbenkian, reedição, 1º edição 1927
8 The other <strong>city</strong> was Tavira in the east part of The Algarve region.