Grândola

Human presence in the territory dates from ancient times - in all, there's about 40 archaeological sites identified in Grândola, covering nearly all periods of History, from the Neolithic to the Roman period. The most known are the Roman ruins of the Península de Tróia and the ones in the Herdade do Pinheiro.

Although there's not much data on the population in medieval times, it is known that in 1492, the village had about 135 people and the region as a whole had about 810 inhabitants.

The main element in the oldest known seal of Grândola presents a cross of Christ, which proves the importance that the knights who professed that order had the in Municipal Senate. Grândola depended on the district of Setúbal and economically, the population is dedicated to agriculture and livestock. Other major activities are milling, the production of wine, pottery, weaving and hunting.

The beginning of the XX century was marked by the development of new transportation routes, and particularly the appearance of the train in 1926. In the 30's, Grândola knew a sudden development due to an economic and populational growth, as a result of the Wheat Campaign integrated in the rural and agricultural policy of the Estado Novo.

It was in this context that appeared the slogan "Barn of Portugal" to describe the Alentejo as a land suitable for the production of cereals.