History
The lands of Olivais formed part of Lisbon’s surrounding territory and were granted to the city by King João I in 1385. The parish of Santa Maria dos Olivais was established in 1397. Its parish church is linked to a local tradition: an image of the Virgin was said to have appeared in the hollow trunk of an olive tree, allegedly kept as a relic for around 300 years.
From the 16th century, Olivais Velho took shape around the church and towards the river, in a landscape of farmers, cereals, fruit, wine, olive oil and livestock. Country houses and estates belonging to noble families later appeared, connected by narrow lanes. The 1755 earthquake brought down the parish church, but its cross remained standing and the building was reconstructed.
In 1852, Olivais gave its name to a municipality of 22 parishes, then regarded as the country’s largest. Its administrative seat never properly settled here, however, and the territory’s scale and variety helped lead to its abolition in 1886. The railway to Carregado and, later, Lisbon Airport profoundly reshaped the eastern part of the city.
The major 20th-century shift came with studies for Olivais Norte and Olivais Sul, begun in 1955. Modern planning moved away from the continuous street frontage and perimeter block, giving weight to sunlight, topography, pedestrian movement and green space. Parque do Vale do Silêncio, envisaged in that plan, retains the idea of a structuring park. Quinta Pedagógica dos Olivais keeps the area’s agricultural memory in view, while housing changes of recent decades have added further layers to the parish.