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Cape Espichel
Cape Espichel (pronounced [(i)ʃpiˈʃɛl]) is a cape situated on the western coast of the civil parish of Castelo, municipality of Sesimbra, in the Portuguese district of Setúbal, at the very southwestern corner of the Setubal Peninsula. It is characterized by a very acute protrusion of the coastline into the Atlantic Ocean, and it consists of a promontory plateau, over 130 meters above sea level, defined by dramatic, sheer cliffs all around the delimitation of the cape against the ocean. Natural historyGeologyRegional setting Cape Espichel is located within the Lusitanian Basin, a regional geologic feature formed during the opening of the North Atlantic, a process which began in the Triassic and continues still today.[1] Tectonics, structural geology, and geomorphology As the incipient North Atlantic Ocean began to spread, Portugal was then located on the eastern margin of the seawater-flooded rift valley. The extensional tectonic setting formed large normal faults during this process, including the Arrábida Fault, whose fault plane dips steeply towards the north, and whose trace is nowadays underwater, just south of the cape, tracing approximately from west to the east, including south of the Arrábida chain. Stratigraphy The geology at Cape Espichel is of utmost stratigraphic relevance. The cliff faces cut through strata of Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous age, consisting of limestone, clayey limestone, marl, and sandstone, which were deposited in different types of coastal environments. In excellent geologic succession, progressing upwards in time from the cape end northwards, the dipping strata are displayed along the western cliff faces as a natural cross-section, especially impressive when seen from the sea.[2] PaleontologyThough the area is rich in various types of marine coral and mollusk fossils, as well as diverse ichnofossils, there are two outstanding dinosaur fossil trackway locations about one kilometer NNE of the cape, on the cliff walls that limit Lagosteiros Bay, exposed in some of the now dipping rock strata:
EcosystemThe landscape at Cape Espichel is typical Portuguese Mediterranean shrubland. Some species, such as Juniperus turbinata and kermes oak mostly favor sheltered areas, normally at the bottom of the ephemeral creek valleys that furrow the plateau, where they benefit from greater soil thickness, greater water retention capacity and greater richness in soil nutrients.[5]
Environmental preservationCape Espichel is part of the Espichel Special Protection Zone (ZPE Espichel), the Arrábida / Espichel Special Conservation Zone (ZEC Arrábida / Espichel), and the Arrábida Natural Park.[6][7][8][9] Human historyPrehistoryPaleolithicPrehistorical archaeological evidence indicates that the Espichel area was inhabited by hunter-gatherer groups as early as the Paleolithic period. The discovery of stone tools and other artifacts in various archaeological sites in the area provides evidence of human occupation dating back further than ten thousand years.[10] NeolithicDue to its topography, Cape Espichel may have been used as a division between the realms of the living and the dead. Dating from the 6th/5th millennium BC, some traces of funerary practices were found. Several symbolic funerary artefacts have been found in the caves facing the sea, located on the south slope. Ceramic and osteological remains attest to this spiritual universe, and at Cape Espichel there are several locations with such materials from this period.[10] HistoryRoman EmpireDuring the times when Roman settlements persisted in the Iberian peninsula, the Roman presence on the cape was limited, perhaps due to how the Romans considered capes to be sacred locations, where the gods met at night. In Ora maritima, Avienius named Cape Espichel, Cabo Cêmpsico, a name possibly associated with the peoples that lived in the vicinity. Later, the geographer Strabo called this area Promontorium Barbaricum.[10] Umayyad CaliphateThough the Umayyad Caliphate extended over the territory of Espichel, there has never been found any archeological evidence of Muslim settlements. The local toponymy, however, includes a few names with Arabic roots, such as Azóia, the nearest village to the cape, which derived from Al Zawiya (meaning hermitage).[10] Middle AgesThe Naval Battle of Cape EspichelDuring the Middle Ages, various legends attracted people to the site but it was a crucible of Portuguese nationalism, when on 29 July 1180, on the waters of Cape Espichel, Sir Fuas Roupinho (Dom Fuas Roupinho in Portuguese) achieved the nation's first naval victory against the caliphate.[10] The Lady of the Cape tale Atop the Pedra da Mua Natural Monument, the modest Shrine of Memory sits alone on the cliff edge, marking a mythical location: superstition linked the dinosaur trackways below to an appearance of the Holy Virgin (Our Lady), who, according to legend, ascended from the sea up the cliff walls on a mule, leaving a trackway in the solid rock below, and appeared before two pilgrims who had traveled from afar after dreaming of her.[10]
 The legend led to an annual pilgrimage to the remote site, resulting in the edification of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Cape Espichel, often incorrectly referred to as a convent, which includes the Church of Our Lady of the Cape and pilgrim accommodations (Casa dos Círios). Other significant eventsFort of Our Lady of the CapeIn 1672, to the west of the original religious shrine, the construction of the small Fort of Our Lady of the Cape began at the edge of the cliff. In 1796, it was reported that half of the fort fell down to the sea due to the collapse of the cliff's edge, and in 1802 it seems the remainder of the fort structure was demolished.[11]
Cape Espichel Lighthouse In 1790 the Cape Espichel Lighthouse was built about six hundred meters south of the sanctuary. It consists of a hexagonal tower in three levels, built with thick masonry walls.[12][13] References
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