Iron and manganese of Cercal – Odemira: between speculation and (dis)illusion (1870s-1912)

Abstract

The rise in prices of the iron and manganese ores in the British market since the 1860s, triggered a real rush in several counties of the province of Alentejo, such as Santiago do Cacém (Cercal) and Odemira, with award of several concessions. With generally poor ores and lack of efficient and cheap transports, an iron-making attempt to increase profits by direct reduction was unsuccessfully carried at site, in the early1880s. However, the intention of local iron making persisted, as it appears from a royal charter of July 1892 that was not materialized. Thus, the lack of demand for these ores compromised local mining activity, which gradually declined until the end of the century.