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Mirador de la Senyora del Monte |
Situated in the primitive Adro da Igreja da Senhora do Monte, existing in this place between, probably, the 15th century and the first half of the 20th century, the Miradouro da Senhora do Monte is a place where you can have one of the most beautiful views of the Historic Center. The Church, which came to be known in the 16th century as Nossa Senhora do Rossio, was demolished in the 1920s to build a primary school. On the street that passes below the viewpoint, called Rossio da Senhora do Monte, the Santiago do Cacém fair was born, hence christened as Feira do Monte. In the early 19th century or shortly before, the fair moved to the current Largo Professor António de Vilhena, next to the Chafariz da Senhora do Monte and, in 1837, the fair was transferred to another fountain, that of São Sebastião, at the entrance of the village, a place that hosted it for most of the 19th century. In the early 20th century, the fair established itself in the Courela das Vinhas, between the Chafariz do Fidalgo and the Praça do Município. In 1925, facing the urbanization of the future Avenida D. Nuno Álvares Pereira, the fair moved to the Praça do Município itself, higher up, between the Paços do Concelho and the Cadeia Comarcã. However, this space was too noble and, at the same time, too small for the function of a fairground, which forced a new change, this time to the Courela da Fidalga, which, for this reason, ended up being christened as Courela da Feira. This location hosted the fair for many decades, interrupted by a short interregnum, during which an attempt was made to install the Feira do Monte next to the Chapel of São Sebastião, but the terrain was too rugged, not very conducive to setting up stalls and amusements (such as the carousel or bumper cars, for example), which may have led to its return to the Courela da Feira. But the urbanization of the area, which had already led the fair to climb to the Cumeadas, was advancing at a good pace, forcing the event to head to the Courela da Cativa, where it still takes place today.