Estoril is a town in the Municipality of Cascais, Portugal, on the Portuguese Riviera. Estoril is famed as a luxury entertainment destination on the Portuguese Riviera, as home of the Casino Estoril. Estoril is one of the most expensive places to live in Portugal and the Iberian Peninsula. It is home to a sizable foreign expat community and known for its luxury restaurants, hotels, and entertainment.. Cascais is consistently ranked for its high quality of living, making it one of the most livable places in Portugal. Estoril is a major international tourist destination in Portugal, known for its luxury hotels, beaches, and the Casino Estoril. Famed for having been home of numerous royal families and famous personalities, Estoril is also known for the numerous notable events it hosts, such as the Estoril Open and the Lisbon & Estoril Film Festival.
Toponymy
From Old Portuguese estorga - a common plant in the area - with the final meaning of "place where heather grows or is abundant". Alternatively, from Old Portuguese astor, meaning a place where such birds live.
History
The territory of Estoril has been inhabited for centuries, owing to its climatic conditions and favourable environment. Throughout the civil parish there are scattered remains of these early communities — Phoenicians, Romans and Arabs selected this area for its strategic place in Western Europe. There are remains of Roman villas in the parish that push back the history of the region to the first millennium, when the settlements of the coast were dependent on the fishing ports. From these settlements, Estoril inherited a rich cultural heritage, architecture, toponymy, habits and customs. In 1147, during the Reconquista, the region was brought under Christian control. Owing to its strategic place, the region was intimately linked to the Portuguese Age of Discovery and all the dynamic social and cultural upheavals that it originated. Its solid fortifications are a testament to the innumerable attacks by Spanish, French and English pirates and privateers. The many forts that dot the coastline are symbols of the resistance and battles that secured Portuguese independence and national interests. At the end of the monarchy, it was in the waters of Estoril that many sought refuge and escape. Aristocrats, nobles and others escaped through the ports along the Estoril coast to flee from the Republican forces. In the hilltop enclave of Monte Estoril, is the Verdades-Faria Museum, built in 1917 by Jorge O'Neil. In 1942, the building was bought by Mantero Belard and dedicated to the support of the arts and artists. Following his death, the building was donated to Cascais Council under the name of Verdades Faria and now houses the regional Museum of Portuguese Music. During the Second World War, the region was a centre of spies and diplomatic secrecy, situations that provided the region with a cosmopolitan atmosphere and sophistication. Due to the vision of Fausto Cardoso de Figueiredo and his business partner Augusto Carreira de Sousa, it became an international tourist destination both during and after the Second World War. During that time, several dignitaries and exiles came to Estoril: Miklós Horthy, the regent of Hungary ; the Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona and the King resided in the territory, as did Umberto II of Italy and Carol II of Romania. Former King Edward VIII the Duke of Windsor, briefly resided in an Estoril villa as more direct and reliably safe routes to London from France for his escape from France were cut off by Blitzkrieg during the invasion. It was also in this location that former Portuguese dictator António de Oliveira Salazar had a summer house. It was Salazar who ordered the construction of the E.N.6 motorway, more commonly referred to as the Avenida Marginal, in order for him to quickly travel by car between Cascais and Lisbon. The roadway permitted the dictator to travel rapidly, and with fewer stops, it wasn't possible for him to be recognized easily in transit. The engineer John Tojeiro was born in Estoril.
Geography
The Estoril coast is relatively close to Lisbon, the Portuguese capital; it extends from Carcavelos, from the capital, and stretches as far as the beach of Guincho. Estoril includes several smaller boroughs and localities along the coastline, namely : São Pedro do Estoril, São João do Estoril, Santo António do Estoril and Monte Estoril, as well as other to the interior. Estoril is popularly recognized for the Casino Estoril, widely regarded as Europe's largest casino.
The major local sports club is the Grupo Desportivo Estoril Praia. Motorsport events are frequent at the Estoril Circuit, although Formula One is no longer on the circuit's calendar. This was due to the circuit not coming up to FIAsafety standards, leading to the 1997 event being cancelled. Following a review on safety, Estoril was reshaped in 1999, the first two corners being affected the most. Today's circuit is in length and is run in a clockwise fashion. The circuit currently hosts international motorcycling events, among other lower formula events. Estoril Open is a tennis tournament within the ATP World Tour.
