History
The parish takes its name from the former Convento de São Domingos de Benfica, established on houses and land donated by D. João I to the Dominicans in 1399. Linked to Frei Vicente de Lisboa and João das Regras, the convent shaped an area that for centuries consisted of estates, market gardens, orchards, formal gardens and country houses, nourished by the Ribeira de Alcântara valley. In the 17th and 18th centuries, aristocratic families built palaces and leisure estates here, a legacy still visible at places such as Palácio Fronteira. Estrada de Benfica, an old connection between Lisbon and Sintra, and Estrada da Luz helped establish settlement; then came Estrada Militar and the railway in 1885, trams in 1929 and the Metro at Sete Rios in 1959. Urban growth accelerated in the 20th century, and the civil parish was created on 7 February 1959 from areas formerly belonging to Benfica and São Sebastião da Pedreira.