Mértola

Sister cities

• Monapo
• Chefchaouen

History

Mértola was inhabited at least since the Iron Age at least by Conni and Cynetes settlements. The original pre-Roman or Lusitanian name was Myrtilis or Mirtilus (referring to Iberian mint) a Hellenized adaptation subsequently renamed to Myrtilis Iulia by the Romans. The strategic location of Mértola, on a hill by the northernmost navigable part of the Guadiana river, was crucial in its early development. Agricultural products grown in the villae nearby and valuable minerals (silver, gold and tin) obtained from the lower Alentejo region were sent from the fluvial port of Mértola via the Guadiana to Southern Hispania and the Mediterranean. Between 1st and 2nd century, Myrtilis, part of the larger Pacensis region (under the capital Beja/Pax Julia), acquired great importance as a dynamic commercial centre, permitting it to mint its own coin. The town was raised to the status of a Municipium in times of Emperor Augustus and was connected to important Roman cities (Beja, Évora) through a road system. During the Migration Period, Mértola was invaded by Germanic tribes of the Sueves and the Visigoths. In this period (5th-8th centuries) commerce was reduced but still active, as evidenced by Greek tombstones from the 6th-7th centuries found in Mértola which suggest trading, and the presence of Byzantine merchants in the town. Around the year 711, Hispania was invaded by the Moors from the Maghreb, inaugurating a period of great influence of Islamic culture in the Alentejo region that would last over 400 years. Mértola and its port played an important economic role in the commerce of agricultural and mineral goods between the Alentejo and other parts of Al-Andalus and Northern Africa. Mértola had a wall dating from Roman times, but the Muslims built new fortifications and,…

Geography

{|border="0" cellpadding="20" cellspacing="0" style="float:right;" | |} Administratively, the municipality is divided into 7 civil parishes (freguesias): * Alcaria Ruiva * Corte do Pinto * Espírito Santo * Mértola * Santana de Cambas * São João dos Caldeireiros * São Miguel do Pinheiro, São Pedro de Solis e São Sebastião dos Carros Mértola has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa) with hot to very hot dry summers and mild wet winters.