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Torres Vedras

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Torres Vedras

Vila Franca de Xira

Nowadays a lively center with a fine commerce, the history of Torres Vedras made it known for the fortified defenses that the Duke of Wellington built in order to stop the troops of Napoleon during the French invasion (they became known as the Lines of Torres).

Rising above the town, the walls of the 13th-century castle have been restored and enclose a pleasant garden and the Church of ai>Santa Maria do Castelo.

The Municipal Museum, housed in the 16th-century monastery of Convento da Graça, is dedicated to the Peninsular Wars but also exhibits other motives of interest, such as the 15th-century Retábulo da Vida da Virgem, from the flemish school, and many archaelogical findings. The church of the monastery contains an enormous 17th-century guilded altarpiece.

But the most famous event in Torres Vedras is undoubtedly its Carnival, which attracts thousands of visitors each year and is considered «the most portuguese of Portugal».

The region is essentially agricultural, with vast vineyards producing a pleasant variety of wines.

Its beaches, though the sea can be rough and is certainly not warm, have become increasingly sought after, as is the case of Santa Cruz (offering many facilities, from hotels to tennis courts, bars, etc.) to the beautiful and wild Praia Azul.