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S. Domingos de Rana, the parish council's coat of arms features two frogs above Ribeira das Marianas deriving from the original Latin of the name (Rã = Rana). It also represents the region's sunshine, its long tradition as a land of cereal production and its medieval past depicted by the sword found in a tomb at the Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Conceição da Abóboda.
Parish councils and parishes were synonymous until the 20th century. Because no civil entity independent of the ecclesiastical one existed, the term parishioner – a combination of the Latin fillius ecclesiae (son of the church) and filius gregis (son of the congregation) – would serve to designate residents who were thus considered 'parishioners' of the local priest.
Parish councils were created in 1830 to 'manage all matters of a purely local interest' with 3, 5 or 7 members depending on the number of dwellings under their jurisdiction, and whose biennial election was up to the 'heads of the family or households residing in the parish'. In 1835 they would become an autonomous 'administrative body' of the local ecclesiastical organisation, despite the fact that the boundaries of the territories they governed almost always overlapped with those of the former parishes.
In 1840, the presidency of each parish council was handed over to the local priests. Despite free selection of the president being approved in 1878, it once again became the responsibility of the parish priests in 1895 and remained that way until the establishment of the Portuguese Republic.
In 1913, civil parishes were created with territorial limits identical to the ecclesiastical ones, which then became parish councils in 1916. From then on, parishes gave way to parish councils which established the difference between the civil and ecclesiastical entities once and for all.
The territory of today's S. Domingos de Rana Parish Council was integrated within the boundary of Cascais by King Fernando I on the 8th of April 1370.
However, when the town of Carcavelos was founded by charter on the 11th of August 1759, adding part of the municipality of Cascais to the 'royal lands next to Oeiras' already known as Bucicos, the parish would lose Arneiro, Rebelva, Sassoeiros, S. Domingos de Rana and Torre da Aguilha.
By charter on the 9th of April 1764, this part of the parish council would be annexed to the municipality of Oeiras, where it remained until the 6th of November 1836 when it was reincorporated into the municipality of Cascais.
In 1953, the parish council of S. Domingos de Rana would permanently lose Arneiro, Rebelva and Sassoeiros to the parish council of Carcavelos, whilst sacrificing a substantial part of its territory when Parede Parish Council was created.
The local place names reflect the history of each respective parish, although the main reason for the names attributed by their earliest inhabitants has been somewhat lost in time.
These are the names that have some meaning:
Abóboda – Covered water source or archway
Arneiro – Stony, deserted or sheltered land
Caparide – Inhabitant of Caparra, a Roman city in the province of Cáceres
Casal do Clérigo – Name of a landowner or old hermitage
Cassanito – Small courthouse
Conceição da Abóboda – Patron saint of the local chapel
Freiria – Belonging to the priests or nuns (property owned by the monastery)
Madorna – Name of unknown origin
Matarraque – Name of unknown origin
Matos-Cheirinhos – Grounds or thick or sweet-smelling scrub
Outeiro de Polima – Small piece of elevated land
Penedo – Large stone or rock
Polima – Polymnia, herbaceous plant or female version of the name Polimno
Quenena – Cane plantation or quena (flute)
Rana – Frog
S. Domingos de Rana – Patron saint of the local church
Talaíde – Look-out post (watchtower) or land of Talaus (male name of pre-Roman origin)
Tires – Strips of land
Torre da Aguilha – Eagle's Tower or abundant grain harvest
Trajouce – Name of unknown origin
Zambujal – Olive grove with wild olive trees
Almost 7 centuries of history
1370
Integration of the current parish council of S. Domingos de Rana within the boundary of Cascais, which King Pedro I donated to Gomes Lourenço do Avelar.
1445
S. Domingos de Rana took part in the Nossa Senhora do Cabo Espichel pilgrimage, which attests to the parish's antiquity.
1527
The locations currently integrated within the parish council (identified as villages) had the following number of dwellings: Caparide 'with Ribeira de Caparide and its dwellings' (26); Rana 'including the dwellings in Parede and Rebelva' (13); Abóboda 'with Trajouce' (11); Polima 'with Outeiro and Freiria'
(10); Tires (10); Sassoeiros 'with Arneiro' (9) and Zambujal (6).
1579
The Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Conceição da Aboboda, which was founded on an unknown date by Friar Gonçalo de Azevedo (a Knight of the Order of Malta), still displays the most beautiful heraldic tombstone in the municipality of Cascais inscribed with the year 1579.
1588
Approval is granted of the commitment of the S. Domingos de Rana parish brotherhood of Our Lady of the Rosary. However, the foundation of the Church of S. Domingos de Gusmão must date back to the beginning of the 16th century, as verified by the locks that still exist on the vault and tablets of the Annunciation and Pentecost with the Virgin dating from the late 16th century.
1589
The first record of a baptism taking place in the parish is dated the 30th of July. Tomé would then receive the name of the priest who performed the ceremony, Father Tomé Nunes.
1710
Construction work begins on the new Church of S. Domingos de Rana, which appears to have been completed in 1838 according to the date inscribed on the bell-tower's sundial. Considered too small for its use, the original temple was also in a poor state of repair.
1755
The parish was affected by an earthquake, which partially destroyed the Church of S. Domingos de Rana.
1758
Curate Joaquim Coelho da Silva records that the parish had 1,868 inhabitants, 520 dwellings and 24 localities: Abóboda, Arneiro, Cai-Água, Caparide, Chaínhos, Conceição, Folia, Montijo, Murtal, Outeiro de Polima, Parede, Penedo, Polima, Quenena, Rana, Rebelva, Ribeira de Quenena, Sassoeiros, S. Domingos de Rana, Talaíde, Tires, Torre da Aguilha, Trajouce and Zambujal.
1759
Annexation of Arneiro, Rebelva, Sassoeiros, S. Domingos de Rana and Torre da Aguilha to the town of Carcavelos, whose territory would be incorporated into the municipality of Oeiras in 1764.
1788
The opening of a textile-printing factory in Tires is announced.
1836
The parish of S. Domingos de Rana is moved from the municipality of Oeiras to Cascais.
1864
S. Domingos de Rana was the most populated parish in the municipality, having 2,424 inhabitants living in 636 dwellings.
1873
The parish had two schools. The illiteracy rate in the municipality was around 84.1%, with only 4.1% of the population being able to read.
1889
Inauguration of the Cascais railway line. S. Domingos de Rana was served by Parede station, which was located in its territory at that time.
1911
The parish had 4,201 inhabitants. The most populated places in terms of the number of permanent residents were Parede (1,301), Tires (419), Murtal (355), Abóboda (253), Caparide (229), Rebelva (211), Trajouce (211), Sassoeiros (162), Talaíde (160) and S. Domingos de Rana (150).
1913
The civil parish of S. Domingos de Rana was established, followed by S. Domingos de Rana Parish Council in 1916.
Founding of the Troupe União 1.º de Novembro Caparidense, the oldest association still active in the parish council today.
1914
The foundation of the now defunct Associação de Classe dos Operários da Construção Civil e Artes Correlativas de Tires e Arredores was confirmation of the importance of stonemasonry in the parish.
1915
The parish of S. Domingos de Rana cedes land for the creation of the parish of Estoril.
1919
Foundation of the Grupo de Bandolinistas 1.º de Maio da Solidariedade da Construção Civil de Tires, now the Grupo Recreativo e Dramático 1.º de Maio de Tires, the second-oldest association still active in the parish council today.
1922
Inauguration of Varandas Bridge which provided access to Talaíde with the purpose of serving 'a productive and very affluent region, that will be very useful for the local economy'.
1928
Inauguration of Caparide Fountain on Rua 23 de Abril.
1930
The parish council had 6,587 inhabitants.
1934
The company Auto-Cars de Algés e Trajouce, Ld.ª announced new bus routes from Cacém to Algés, stopping at Trajouce, Aboboda and S. Domingos de Rana.
1944
Inauguration of the Trajouce Fountain, water tank and washing facility.
1948
The Portuguese Chorographic Dictionary describes the parish council of S. Domingos de Rana as follows: 'Like all the land of the saloio peasant farmers, there's not a trace of poverty, ugliness, dirt. Nor does it have a shadow of grandeur or noble ancestry. Bright, cheerful houses line the road, blooming like a garden. A privileged region for fruit and vegetables grown in lots exquisitely cared for, with a renowned wine, just like in the neighbouring parish council of Carcavelos'.
1952
The Instituto Superior Missionário do Espírito Santo opens in Quinta da Torre da Aguilha, which hadbeen acquired in 1948.
1953
The parish council lost a substantial part of its territory when Parede Parish Council was established, along with Arneiro, Rebelva and Sassoeiros which went to the parish council of Carcavelos.
An initiative led by Branquinho da Fonseca, Cascais Council introduces the region's mobile library to help promote books and encourage reading. Abóboda, Caparide, S. Domingos de Rana, Tires and Trajouce were included on the route.
1954
Electric lighting was switched on for the first time in Manique, Tires, S. Domingos de Rana and Zambujal, followed by Abóboda and Trajouce in 1955.
1956
Inauguration of the S. Domingos de Rana Parish Council building, which is still in use today.
1959
Inauguration of the public water supply in Polima.
1960
The parish council had 8,323 inhabitants, 156 of whom lived in Outeiro de Polima. The sharp reduction in the number of full-time residents was due to the loss of territory to the parish councils of Carcavelos and Parede in 1953.
1964
Electric lighting was switched on for the first time in Conceição da Abóboda, Outeiro de Polima and Polima.
1964
Inauguration of Tires Aerodrome. Originally 600 metres long, the runway today has a length of 1,700 meters.
1970
The parish council has 17,624 inhabitants, which in 1981 would rise to 29,342.
1978
In an interview with the newspaper Jornal da Costa do Sol, the president of the parish council identifies clandestine neighborhoods as S. Domingos de Rana's most serious problem.
1985
The excavation of Freiria Roman Villa begins.
1986
The Parish of S. Domingos de Rana was broken up for the creation of the Parish of Nossa Senhora da Graça de Tires. The Parish of Nossa Senhora da Conceição da Abóboda was established in 2004.
1990
Freiria Roman Villa was listed as a protected monument.
1991
Conclusion of the Lisbon-Cascais Motorway, which passed through the parish council of S. Domingos de Rana.
1995
Inauguration of the S. Domingos de Rana Sports Complex in Massapés.
2001
The parish council has 43,991 inhabitants, which would rise to 57,502 in 2011.
2005
Inauguration of S. Domingos de Rana Municipal Library.
Inauguration of the new Fairground in the east of the parish, which today hosts the fairs of Tires, S. Domingos de Rana and Madorna.
2008
Acquisition of Casal do Outeiro de Polima, where this cultural entity is located.
2008
Inauguration of the new S. Domingos de Rana Health Center comprising three family health units.
2009
Inauguration of the Abóboda Municipal Sports Complex.
2013
Inauguration of the Quinta de Rana Urban Park Butterfly House.
2018
Project to restore the site and create a museum at Freiria Roman Villa begins.
2021
The parish council registers 59,248 inhabitants.
2022
The Cascais Rural Space Interpretation Centre is inaugurated at the old Outeiro de Polima saloio residence.
