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Built
around the 12th century castle,
Torres
Novas is a mixture of architecture,
which thanks to town planners has merged well together.
At the heart of the town is the Castle of Torres Novas,
which it is believed to have been built long before the
Reconquest in 1148 when Portugal's first King,
Afonso Henriques
drove the Moors out of the area.
The
castle, damaged no doubt during the fighting, was
rebuilt in 1190 by Dom Sancho I, with further expansion
and rebuilding two centuries later with the town growing
up in and around it.
The
marble cobbled praças adjacent to the Castle are lined
with three and four storey, brightly painted buildings
with a range of cafes and restaurants offering al fresco
dining.
The historic centre of
Torres
Novas is a maze of narrow streets
flanked by traditional tiled fronted town houses and
shops and was originally surrounded by the castle walls.
However these were demolished in the 19th century as the
conurbation expanded. Away from the historic centre,
which is entered and exited carefully using traffic
lights, the roads widen into boulevards lined with
trees.
In the modern town of
Torres
Novas there are parks aplenty with
aged trees providing much needed shade during the summer
to those who promenade the well tended gardens and
paths. Unlike the neighbouring towns of
Tomar and
Abrantes,
Torres
Novas does not have a major river
running through it's centre, rather a rivulet, the
Ribeira Branca.
Torres
Novas is a town of two halves though
with the historic centre being the jewel. The demand for
expansion and housing means the modern side of town has
less charm with swathes of apartment blocks stretching
out below the Castle.
The town though is well
stocked with restaurants, supermarkets, shops and
commercial and employment opportunities. Open air
swimming pool and indoor heated ones provide the usual
leisure facilities expected in a town of it's size.
However
Torres
Novas
also boasts
a shopping mall complete with cinema complex and bowling
and as such outranks it's neighbouring towns for leisure
activities. |
