The history of Santarém runs from the Roman town of Scallabis on a plateau above the Tagus to the Muslim town of Shantarin, conquered by Afonso Henriques in 1147, a medieval royal town of Gothic convents, and the capital of the Ribatejo. Its people are called escalabitanos, after the Roman name.

This page lists the main dates in the history of Santarém and the people linked to the city.

Timeline of Santarém

Roman period: the town of Scallabis stands on the plateau above the Tagus.
Muslim period: the town, known as Shantarin, is a fortified place on the Tagus frontier.
15 March 1147: Afonso Henriques conquers Santarém, shortly before the conquest of Lisbon.
1241: the Church of Santo Estêvão is consecrated, later the Sanctuary of the Santíssimo Milagre.
1247 or 1266: the Eucharistic Miracle of Santarém takes place in the parish of Santo Estêvão.
1380: work begins on the Church of Graça for the Augustinian friars.
1531: an earthquake damages the town, and several churches are rebuilt in the following decades.
1617 to 1639: the Church of Marvila is lined with tiles.
17th century: the Jesuits build their college church on the site of the royal palace, today Santarém Cathedral.
1868: Santarém is raised to the status of a city.
25 April 1974: a column of the Practical School of Cavalry of Santarém, commanded by Captain Salgueiro Maia, leaves for Lisbon and takes part in the revolution that ends the dictatorship.
1975: the Diocese of Santarém is created.

People linked to Santarém

Afonso Henriques: the first King of Portugal, who conquered the town in 1147.
Pedro Álvares Cabral: the navigator who reached Brazil in 1500, buried in the Church of Graça.
Salgueiro Maia (1944 to 1992): the cavalry captain who led the column from Santarém on 25 April 1974.