Cape st Vincent peninsula and rocky coastline, Sagres, Algarve, Portugal

by Neale And Judith Clark

Title

Cape st Vincent peninsula and rocky coastline, Sagres, Algarve, Portugal

Artist

Neale And Judith Clark

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

Cape St Vincent peninsula - Rocky coastline near the small town of Sagres Algarve South West Coast Algarve Costa Vincentina Algarve Portugal EU Europe

Cape St. Vincent or Cabo de São Vicente,is a headland in the municipality of Vila do Bispo, in the Algarve, southern Portugal. It is the southwesternmost point of Portugal and of mainland Europe.

Cape St. Vincent was already sacred ground in Neolithic times, as standing menhirs in the neighborhood attest. The ancient Greeks called it Ophiussa (Land of Serpents), inhabited by the Oestriminis and dedicated here a temple to Heracles. The Romans called it Promontorium Sacrum (or Holy Promontory). Strabo, in his Geography calls this cape the most western tip of the known world and reports the place was considered magical. Common people believed the sun sank here hissing into the ocean, marking the edge of their world, which Strabo qualifies as "common and vulgar reports" and attributes to Posidonius

According to legend, the name of this cape is linked to the story of a martyred fourth-century Iberian deacon St. Vincent whose body was brought ashore here. A shrine was erected over his grave.This transfer of the relics is depicted on the coat of arms of Lisbon. All existing buildings—including the Vila do Infante of Henry the Navigator—fell into ruins because of the Lisbon earthquake of 1755. The Franciscan friars who cared for the shrine stayed on until 1834, when all monasteries were disbanded in Portugal.


Alamy reference D37MD9

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January 14th, 2020

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