BENAVENTE

A land of bulls and horses

Famous for its bull farms, green rice fields and the spectacular Natural Reserve of Tagus Estuary, the name Benavente derived from “Benaventus” (or “Beneventus”), due to the favourable winds that made it possible for the Christian armada to sail up the Tagus river, conquering the town to the Moors. It is the centre of a fertile agricultural soil, crossed by Samora and Sorraia rivers, deeply influenced by the existence of bulls and horses. The great landed estates of the region, nationalised during the liberal regime in 1835, were in the origin of Companhia das Lezírias, the first great modern agricultural enterprise. Nowadays, it has many locations opened to the public, such as the stud farm or the pedagogical farm that children love. The heritage of Benavente is included in the surrounding rural environment and it can be seen in the municipal museum, the mirror of the intense agricultural activity of the region. Apart from this, the municipality presents a good architectural balance (for most of the buildings were erected after the earthquake of 1909), combining old and modern houses, as well as pleasant green areas like the riverside Benavente park.