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CALDAS DA RAINHA
Caldas da Rainha is located at 39° 24' N latitude and 9° 08' W longitude. The municipality comprises an area of 255.7 square kilometres (98.7 sq mi) (2004 statistics). The city is located approximately 82 kilometres (51 mi) north of the Portuguese capital, Lisbon.
Although the municipality borders the Atlantic Ocean, the city proper is about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the ocean.
Caldas da Rainha (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈkaɫdɐʒ ðɐ ʁɐˈiɲɐ]) is a city (cidade) in western central Portugal. The city serves as the seat of the larger municipality (município or concelho) of the same name and is the seat of the Comunidade Intermunicipal doOeste[1] (West Intermunicipal Community). The city is best known for its hot springs and pottery.
The city was founded in the 15th century by Queen Leonor, who established a hospital at the site of some therapeutic hot springs. The Hospital Termal Rainha D. Leonor is one of the oldest institutions of its kind in the world, with five centuries of history. The city's name means "Queen's Hot Springs"[2] or "Queen's Spa".
Caldas da Rainha is home to many arts-related institutions. There are numerous museums in the city, mostly related to ceramics and sculpture. The city is home to a major arts and design school, as well as a school of ceramics. In 2008, the municipal government inaugurated a new cultural center.
As of the 2011 census, the municipality has a population of 51,645, and the city (the civil parishes of Nossa Senhora do Pópulo and Santo Onofre) has 27,429 residents.
Caldas da Rainha is in Estremadura, a historical province with no current legal status. The municipality is in the district of Leiria. Districts are being phased out, but still serve as a primary administrative division.
The municipality is bordered to the north by Alcobaça, to the east by Rio Maior and to the south by Bombarral, Cadaval and Óbidos.
The postal code for Caldas da Rainha is 2500. Its telephone area code is 262.
Caldas da Rainha is well known for its glazed ceramic pottery (louça das Caldas). At the end of the 19th century, the ceramic industry set up place here, making the city Portugal's ceramic and pottery capital. Ancient references to pottery manufacturing can be found in the area, with soils rich in clay. A nearby village's name, Bombarral, can be translated as "good-clay pit", revealing that the pottery tradition has been settled here since ancient times. The typical Caldas pottery has evolved since its great boom in early 20th century, but the main types are still the same.
Caldas da Rainha's pottery falls into two main categories: utilitarian housewares, such as plates, bowls, platters, mugs, and tureens; and purely decorative items, such as caricature figurines and ceramic phalluses of various sizes. Even useful articles usually serve a decorative purpose as well. One popular model, created by Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro, is a cabbage-shaped soup tureen, which can be displayed on a shelf or as a centerpiece when not in use.
One of the most popular decorative figures is Zé Povinho, a bearded peasant everyman character created by Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro. A symbol of Portugal and the Portuguese people, Zé Povinho appears in many jocular, defiant poses.
The ceramics are available for purchase at stands in the daily market at Praça da República (Praça da Fruta) and shops in the vicinity. They are also available in stores outside Portugal, including a number of up-market housewares stores.
Gastronomy
Cavacas das Caldas are a small-bowl-sized, shell-shaped confection of flour and eggs, with a crunchy sugar covering. In June 2005, a 26 meter pyramid of cavacas was erected on Praça 25 de Abril in front of the city hall. Beijinhos das Caldas (English: "kisses") are similar, but are smaller and round.
Ceramics
Caldas da Rainha is well known for its glazed ceramic pottery (louça das Caldas). At the end of the 19th century, the ceramic industry set up place here, making the city Portugal's ceramic and pottery capital. Ancient references to pottery manufacturing can be found in the area, with soils rich in clay. A nearby village's name, Bombarral, can be translated as "good-clay pit", revealing that the pottery tradition has been settled here since ancient times. The typical Caldas pottery has evolved since its great boom in early 20th century, but the main types are still the same.
Caldas da Rainha's pottery falls into two main categories: utilitarian housewares, such as plates, bowls, platters, mugs, and tureens; and purely decorative items, such as caricature figurines and ceramic phalluses of various sizes. Even useful articles usually serve a decorative purpose as well. One popular model, created by Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro, is a cabbage-shaped soup tureen, which can be displayed on a shelf or as a centerpiece when not in use.
One of the most popular decorative figures is Zé Povinho, a bearded peasant everyman character created by Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro. A symbol of Portugal and the Portuguese people, Zé Povinho appears in many jocular, defiant poses.
The ceramics are available for purchase at stands in the daily market at Praça da República (Praça da Fruta) and shops in the vicinity. They are also available in stores outside Portugal, including a number of up-market housewares stores.
Attractions
Churches
The Igreja Nossa Senhora do Pópulo is a gothic church near the thermal hospital. It was built around the year 1500 by order of Queen Leonor. The church has two associated chapels: Capela de São Sebastião and Capela do Espírito Santo. The Ermida da São Sebastião is a 16th century chapel, adjacent to Praça da República. Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Conceição is a 20th century church located on Praça 25 de Abril.
Museums
Several museums are located in Caldas da Rainha. The Centro de Artes (arts center) hosts three museums of sculpture: the Museu-Atelier António Duarte, the Museu-Atelier João Fragoso, and the Museu Barata Feyo. The Museu de Cerâmica exhibits ceramic works of art, as does the Casa-Museu de São Rafael. The Museu do Hospital e das Caldas features exhibits related to the thermal hospital and the city. The Museu José Malhoa is an art museum located in Parque D. Carlos I.
Beaches and water
Foz do Arelho has a beach on Atlantic Ocean, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the center of town. The Lagoa de Óbidos, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean, is a lagoon located on the border with Óbidos near Foz do Arelho. Salir do Porto has a beach on the Atlantic Ocean
Parks and plazas
Parque D. Carlos I is a large park in the center of town. The José Malhoa Museum sits in the middle of the park. The park contains a doughnut-shaped pond with a small island in the center. Visitors can rent rowboats on the pond.
Praça da República (Republic Plaza) is a public square in the center of town. The plaza, also known as Praça da Fruta (Fruit Plaza), hosts Portugal's only daily farmers' market. The plaza is surrounded by buildings, most containing shops, banks, and cafés on the ground floor.
Praça 5 de Outubro (October 5 Plaza) formerly hosted the city's open-air fish market, which has since moved to an indoor location (Mercado do Peixe). The plaza is now used for outdoor café seating and free cultural events. A parking garage sits underground below the plaza.
A statue of Queen Queen Leonor stands in the middle of the roundabout at Largo Conde de Fontalva, typically called Largo da Rainha. The iconic monument serves as a landmark and marks the entrance to the historic city center when approaching from the south on N8/N115/N360 or from the west on the N360.
Rail
Caldas da Rainha has a railway station served by the Linha do Oeste (western line) of Comboios de Portugal. Regional trains, which make frequent local stops, run south to Lisbon and north to Figueira da Foz. Most regional trips reach only the suburbs of Lisbon, where passengers can transfer to a commuter train to reach the capital. Interregional trains, which make select stops, run south to Lisbon and north to Figueira da Foz (a few times daily) or Coimbra (once daily). Other train stops in the municipality are Campo-Serra, Bouro, andSalir do Porto. [36]
As part of the deal to help Portugal overcome its debt burden, the government announced that it will discontinue passenger service on the Linha do Oeste north of Caldas da Rainha by the end of 2011.
Long distance and suburban buses
Caldas da Rainha has a bus station (terminal rodoviário) located in the city center.
Rede Nacional de Expressos provides express bus service to various destinations in the country.
Rodoviária do Tejo provides rapid ("express" by another name) and interurban services to destinations in its service area (cities and towns surrounding Caldas da Rainha, Leiria,Santarém, and Torres Novas), as well as to Lisbon.
Rocaldas-Empresa de transportes Auto-Penafiel, Lda. services outlying, suburban, and rural areas near the city. Their buses do not use the bus station.
Local buses - TOMA
On May 15, 2007, the municipal holiday, the municipal council inaugurated local bus service called TOMA. The name means "take this" in Portuguese and commemorates everyman figure Zé Povinho, whose image appears on the buses.TOMA service consists of three routes: Linha Azul (Blue Line), Linha Laranja (Orange Line), and Linha Verde (Green Line). The Blue line uses two minibuses and runs between the western and eastern ends of town. The Orange and Green lines each operate using a single twenty-nine-seat minibus on loop routes.TOMA service runs from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on weekdays and from 8:00 a.m to 1:30 p.m. on Saturdays, with no service on Sundays. All routes operate at thirty-minute intervals.Since August 16, 2011, a trip on TOMA costs €1.10 without a pass (called TTT – Título de Transporte do TOMA) and €0.55 with a pass. Passengers receive volume discounts for purchasing multiple trips simultaneously. They can also purchase passes for unlimited rides for given number of days. On January 9, 2008, the city council announced that persons in wheelchairs would ride free of charge.
Roads
Caldas da Rainha is served by an extensive network of roads. Two motorways (auto-estradas), both operated by Auto-Estradas do Atlântico, serve the municipality. The A8 (also known as Auto-estrada do Oeste and as IC1) goes south to Lisbon, Loures, Torres Vedras, and Bombarral and north to Leiria, Marinha Grande, Alcobaça, and Nazaré. The A15goes west to Santarém via Rio Maior. IP 6 is a main route (itinerário principal) connecting to Peniche, Santarém, Castelo Branco, and Spain.
Several national roads (estradas nacionais), which are older and not as well-maintained as motorways and main routes, serve the municipality. EN 8 (N8) crosses the municipality from north to south, connecting to Alcobaça and Leiria to the north and Óbidos, Bombarral, Torres Vedras, and Loures to the south. EN 8 runs through the center of the city, although the part of its route along Rua dos Heróis da Grande Guerra is now a pedestrian zone. EN 8 was the municipality's main roadway before the A8 motorway was built.
EN 114 (N114), in the center and southeast of the municipality, goes to Peniche, Rio Maior and Santarém. EN 114-1 (N114-1), in the center and east of the municipality, connects to EN 114. EN 115 (N115), along the south and southwest border of the municipality, runs to Cadaval. EN 360 (N360) crosses the municipality southwest to northeast, connecting to Alcobaça. EN 361 (N361), in the southwest of the municipality, connects to Cadaval and Rio Maior.
Health care
Caldas da Rainha is home to the Centro Hospitalar das Caldas da Rainha (Hospital Center of Caldas da Rainha), which consists of both medical and cultural institutions. Among these are the Hospital Distrital Caldas da Rainha (Caldas da Rainha District Hospital), which is a major regional hospital serving several municipalities in the area. The hospital serves all emergency needs of all parts of Bombarral, Caldas da Rainha, and Óbidos. It also serves certain emergency needs for certain parts of Alcobaça, Nazaré, Peniche, and Rio Maior. The Hospital Termal Rainha D. Leonor (Queen Leonor Thermal Hospital), a spa offering medically prescribed treatment in sulfurous waters, is also part of the Centro Hospitalar. Among the non-medical institutions of the Centro Hospitlar are the Museu do Hospital e das Caldas (Museum of the Hospital and Spa) and the Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Pópulo, a church.
Caldas da Rainha is also served by a health center, Centro de Saúde Caldas da Rainha, which offers primary and non-urgent care. Additionally, there is a Unidade de Saúde Familiar (Family Health Unit) in Tornada and ten Extensões de Saúde (Health Extensions) in Alvorninha, Carreiros (A-dos-Francos), Carvalhal Benfeito, Foz do Arelho, Rostos (Landal), São Gregório, Santa Catarina, Vidais, A-dos-Francos, and Salir de Matos.
Sports
Caldas Sport Clube (CSC) was founded May 15, 1916. The club sponsors an association football (soccer) team which competes in thePortuguese Football Federation's 2nd Division — Series C. The team plays at Campo da Mata, a 13,000-seat field located in a forest adjacent to Parque D. Carlos I. CSC also sponsors several youth (junior) football teams for various age groups.
The western edge of the city is home to the Complexo Desportivo Municipal (municipal sports complex). The main feature is a rugby field surrounded by a running track. The field is home to Caldas Rugby Clube. The field can also be used for association football (soccer). The municipality recently added five tennis courts (two of which are covered) in an adjacent facility. The municipal pools are located nearby.
The Portuguese Badminton Federation (Federação Portuguesa de Badminton) is headquartered in Caldas da Rainha. On February 6, 2010, the Centro de Alto Rendimento de Badminton (high performance badminton center) was inaugurated in the Complexo Desportivo Municipal area.
Caldas da Rainha has a bullring (praça de touros), inaugurated on June 13, 1883. The octagonal arena originally seated 4,000 spectators, but now has capacity for 3,250. In a typical year, the ring hosts between three and five bullfights, with peak years seeing six such events. The arena also hosts concerts.
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