Azeitão (São Lourenço e São Simão)


Azeitão is a civil parish in the municipality of Setúbal, Portugal. It was formed in 2013 by the merger of the former parishes São Lourenço and São Simão. The population in 2011 was 18,877, in an area of 69.32 km². It is composed of a cluster of small "aldeias" or small villages, some of those are: Vila Fresca de Azeitão, Vila Nogueira de Azeitão, Brejos de Azeitão, Aldeia de Irmãos, Vendas de Azeitão. Two of the closest cities are Setúbal and Palmela.

Heritage

In Azeitão there are several farms, some of them dedicated to wine production, cheese, and the famous Azeitão pies. Others are owned by famous people, such as Herman José, Manuel Vilarinho, or the former president of Sporting Clube de Portugal, Filipe Soares Franco.
Azeitão is the birthplace of the poet and pedagogue Sebastião da Gama, known for his poems about the Nature Park of Arrábida, who died prematurely at age 27, victim of tuberculosis. The parish pays several respects to the poet, especially in the house where he was born and in the Museum-Library Sebastião da Gama.
In 2014, Azeitão cheese was considered one of the 50 best gastronomic products in the world, distinguished by the Great Taste Awards, organized by the Guild of Fine Food, known as the Oscars of Gastronomy.
In June 2015, it was announced the creation of a museum that pays homage to Azeitão shepherds and cheese. It is called Ovelheiro Museum and is located in Palmela.