Bensafrim e Barão de São João
Civil parish in Algarve, Portugal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bensafrim e Barão de São João is a civil parish in the municipality of Lagos, Portugal. It was formed in 2013 by the merger of the former parishes Bensafrim and Barão de São João.[1] The population in 2011 was 2,425,[2] in an area of 130.20 km2.[3]
Bensafrim e Barão de São João | |
|---|---|
 Coat of arms | |
 Interactive map of Bensafrim e Barão de São João | |
| Country |  Portugal |
| Region | Algarve |
| Intermunic. comm. | Algarve |
| District | Faro |
| Municipality | Lagos |
| Area | |
• Total | 130.20 km2 (50.27 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 2,444 |
| • Density | 18.77/km2 (48.62/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+00:00 (WET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+01:00 (WEST) |
| Website | https://www.ufbensafrimbaraosjoao.pt/ |
Bensafrim
Bensafrim is the biggest town of the Parish, with an estimated population of around 953 in 2021.[4] Bensafrim is known for some of its old Roman sites, such as the Fonte Velha and Salmones da Mina, and the Bravura dam[5]
History
Roman presence in the town can be traced back to the 1st century BC. This is due to some Menhirs and Necropolis, and other shards and nails archaeologists have discovered in the area.[6]
Economy and Authority
Around the 16th century, the town's industry was based on typical local productions, such as almonds, cattle, coal, and ceramics. Most of these have survived to this day, thanks to the fact that Bensafrim remained a mostly undeveloped and rural town until the late 20th century.[7] The authority at that time was mostly limited to the church and priest, that mostly presided over the community. If there were any problems in the community, they would usually revolve around or be solved by the town's church.
Etymology
While its Roman name was unknown, the current name comes from Bensafrim's Arab occupation. The most common name for the town at the time was Benassaharim, which according to Frei João de Sousa, meant "Sorcerer". According to more recent studies, the word name breaks down to "Ben Sab´r In", which can be related to “Bem Saber Inscrever”, which refers to the existence of a lapidary workshop, where gemstones would be carved into “monumental funerary stars”.[8]
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