Benavente - Portugal - City and Town Halls on Waymarking.com

Benavente is a municipality and parish in Portugal with a total area of 521.0 km² and a total population of 29,388 inhabitants (2011).

In 1199 the fixation of foreign settlers on the left bank of the Tagus River created a Town on a peninsula in the tagus estuary. Situated in the western limits of Coruche Castle dominion, which belonged to the Order of Calatrava. This small settlement remained under the Seignory of this Military Order, which named it Benavente, the same name as a castle of the same Military order in the Kingdom of Leon (Which is the actual Benavente, Zamora). It received its foral on March 25, 1200, given by D. Paio (or Pelágio), master of Military Order of Évora. The foral was confirmed in Santarém in 1218 by Sancho I. King Manuel gave it a new foral on January 16, 1516.

Benavente is crossed by National Road 118, which divides the Town in the historical centre on the west side, destroyed by an earthquake in 27 April 1909, and the new town built after the Quake on the east

The building of the Municipality of Benavente was built from scratch for this purpose in 1875 at the site where previously stood the old Town Hall. This building housed, also, the Court, the jail and other public offices. It is a rectangular and presents its main facade dotted with balconies on the first floor and ground floor windows. The remaining facades bearing also windows.

The main door access, opens a lobby paved with stone and where part of a central staircase, also in stone, which unfolds in two, giving access to first floor. The building has also two intermediate floors, one on each side with each other uneven. During the earthquake that shook the town of Benavente in 1909, the building suffered some damage. The collapse of the balcony that surrounded the roof and numerous cracks in the walls. When we performed the restoration work has introduced a new element, which is today a reference in the building, the metal tower with a lookout, bells and city clock.
(From Wikipedia)

The building has no plaque or identification. Exceptions are the clock and the main door where the letters CMB (Câmara Municipal de Benavente / City Hall) appear.

Name: Câmara Municipal de Benavente Address: Câmara Municipal de Benavente Praça do municipio Benavente, Portugal 2130 Date of Construction: 1911 Web Site for City/Town/Municipality: [Web Link] Architect: Not listed Memorials/Commemorations/Dedications: Not listed

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