THE TOWN

Vila Franca de Xira is a Portuguese city in the district of Lisbon with about 18,400 inhabitants. Still belonged to the old province of Ribatejo, but without any significance today of administrative policy.

It is the seat of a municipality with 293.88 km² and 122,908 inhabitants (2001), divided into 11 parishes. The municipality is bordered to the north by the municipalities of Azambuja and Alenquer in the east by Benavente, south by the Tagus (Tejo) estuary, south and west by Loures and northwest by Arruda dos Vinhos.

In place of the current municipality of Vila Franca de Xira existed throughout the Middle Ages and until the mid-nineteenth century four distinct districts - Povos (today a settlement in the parish of Vila Franca de Xira), Alverca, Alhandra and Vila Franca; in 1855, however, were all already integrated in the current municipality of Vila Franca.

In Vila Franca took place in 1823, the movement of rebel Vilafrancada, conducted by Infante D. Miguel against the Constitution of 1822. Following these events, Vila Franca de Xira was renamed Vila Franca of the Restoration, the name, however, did not last, since after the failure of April the following year, returned to its original form.

Vila Franca de Xira was proclaimed city on June 28, 1984, and the celebrations of the town, known as "Red Vest" (“Colete Encarnado”) are held on the first weekend of July and during the first week of October, the old "October Market", today called Market of Fair Crafts.