History
Portalegre was founded in the reign of Afonso III, in 1259. It was to be given to his bastard son Afonso Sanches.
In Denis I reign, by a foral of 18 November 1299, it was determined that Portalegre would be donated to the king himself and later to his first born and heir.
Portalegre was elevated to the status of city on 23 May 1550, by John III. At this time, the city was regarded as an important administrative and economic centre. In the 15th century, it was already recognized for its cloth manufacturing.
As it is near the frontier with Spain it always suffered lots of invasions from foreign troops: in 1704 (during the War of the Spanish Succession), it was attacked and conquered by the army of Felipe V; again in 1801 during the War of the Oranges, it surrendered to the Spanish Army, this way trying to counter the French dominion. In 1847 it was occupied by forces of Spanish General Concha.
The importance of Portalegre would come to be recognized in 1859, when it became capital of the Portalegre District.
Read more about this topic: Portalegre Municipality
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—Tacitus (c. 55–c. 120)
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—Mary McCarthy (1912–1989)