Faro do Alentejo

This village was founded in 1616 on the estate of S. Luís de Jacentes (now Assentes), belonging to D. Estêvão de Faro - Count of Faro and Commander of S. Salvador de Jones. It also belonged to D. Diniz de Faro, the second and last Count of Faro, and to D. Juliana de Faro, the Countess of Faro. It was a town, formerly called Farinho, a very fertile land, especially in cereals. In 1775, the town's grantee was D. José Luís de Vasconcelos e Sousa, 6th Count of Pombeiro and 1st Marquis of Belas. Its parish priest was from the Presentation of the Miter. In 1772, the parish priest of Faro do Alentejo was Father Silvestre Asario, thirty-two years old. In 1774, the parish priest received 150 bushels of wheat annually, and in 1775, he reports receiving 10 quarters of wheat as a contribution, which, sold at the ordinary price, yielded approximately 36,000 réis. In 1734, the parish had 78 households and 264 souls, and in 1767, 60 households; in 1874, 90 households and 320 residents. The 1970 census gave it a population of 687.