This welcome sign is a beautiful work, composed of hand-painted tiles representing three major references in Palmela: a windmill, the castle and the wine.
Firstly we can see a windmill, one of many that exist in the region.
On the back you can see the castle, a landmark of Palmela, which can also be seen in the background in the photo showing the surroundings.
And finally the grapes, representing the great importance that the wine production has in the region. This importance was recognized by RECEVIN (European Network of Wine Cities), beeing Palmela elected as EUROPEAN WINE CITY 2012.
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«Palmela is a town and a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 463 km2 and a total population of 58,222 inhabitants.
The municipality is composed of 5 parishes, and is located in Setúbal District, about 25 km (16 mi) south of Lisbon.
The town's name comes from her Roman founder, Cornelius Palma (Palmella). Palmela, once a fortress, was conquered by the Portuguese in the 12th century, from Muslim invaders. It is located up a hill in the Arrábida area, and it's a semi-rural town, right in the middle of Portugal's biggest urban area.
The town's ex libris is the castle (Castelo de Palmela), which offers a unique view over the whole region of Setúbal's Peninsula, Lisbon, and the Atlantic Coast. It was a strategic place in past centuries, and today it is still a main knot of Portugal's road and rail networks.»
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