Luz (Mourao)
| Luz | ||||||
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| Basic data | ||||||
| Region : | Alentejo | |||||
| Sub-region : | Alentejo Central | |||||
| District : | Évora | |||||
| Concelho : | Mourão | |||||
| Coordinates : | 38 ° 20 ′ N , 7 ° 24 ′ W | |||||
| Residents: | 290 (as of June 30, 2011) | |||||
| Surface: | 50.86 km² (as of January 1, 2010) | |||||
| Population density : | 5.7 inhabitants per km² | |||||
| Postal code : | 7240-100 | |||||
| politics | ||||||
| Mayor : | Francisco Simão Lopes de Oliveira | |||||
| Address of the municipal administration: | Junta de Freguesia de Luz Largo 25 de Abril 7240-100 Luz |
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Luz (dt .: light) is a municipality ( freguesia ) in the Portuguese district ( concelho ) of Mourão . 290 inhabitants live in it (as of June 30, 2011).
History and sights
People have settled on the Guadiana , which runs here, since prehistory , as shown by megalithic systems , ceramic finds and wall paintings . The most important building of the Romans here was the fortification Castelo da Lousa , which today, however, lies sunk in the Alqueva reservoir.
In 2002 the village was relocated in connection with the construction of the dam.
The move of the village
The construction of the Alqueva dam resulted in a deliberate large-scale damming. The planning also forced a relocation of the village of Luz. In the construction period from 1995 to 2002, the village was completely dismantled and rebuilt further above. Conflicts arose between the project management company EDIA ( Empresa de Desenvolvimento e Infra-Estruturas de Alqueva , German: Development and Infrastructure Company of Alqueva) and the village population, who opposed the project. The conflict caught media attention and for a while Luz was the target of excursion buses and numerous tourists.
The then Prime Minister Barroso predicted a prosperous future for the new village when it opened, but this did not come true. The community mayor Oliveira, who opposed the project from the start, was still in office in 2012 and drew a negative balance. The new village has lost a lot of residents since the relocation: In 2002, 423 residents moved with the village, which in 2011 had 291 residents. The remaining residents complain of a lack of prospects and a dwindling social cohesion in the place. Most of the numerous promised measures have also been implemented, but without having given the place the expected development impulses. In addition, some promises have not been realized (as of 2012), including local facilities for the community's winegrowers, and in some cases still outstanding parceling of agricultural land.
A local museum deals with the history of the village and its move.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b www.ine.pt - indicator resident population by place of residence and sex; Decennial in the database of the Instituto Nacional de Estatística
- ↑ Overview of code assignments from Freguesias on epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu
- ↑ www.monumentos.pt , accessed on July 14, 2013
- ↑ Article of November 18, 2012 on the 10th anniversary of the move of the village in the daily newspaper Público , accessed on July 14, 2013
- ↑ www.museudaluz.org.pt , accessed July 14, 2013
