Origin

    There are in the oldest documents about Caneças historical elements like the dolmens “Pedras Altas” and the dolmen Anta “Batalhas” in Casal Novo, which testify the existence of population in this region since the megalithic period. It is thought that the of origin the countryside man of this area is Muslim, what leads us to believe that  Caneças was already  inhabited at least in the reconquest period.

    During the 14^th century, there were also inhabitants in Caneças; we know that because there is a legend about “Caneças” which says that when  King D.Dinis was passing through this settlement water was given to him in a mug, and from that moment on the word evolved until the word that we know today as Caneças.

    However, the certainties about the origin of the word “Caneças” are scarce.

    It is said that it probably comes from the Arabian word “Caneça”, which means “Christian Temple”.

Concerning the 15th century, there aren’t any know confirm the existence of population in this village. The same can’t be said about the16^th century, because one knows that the dam of Belas which was initially built by the Romans, (reflecting their concern towards the public utility constructions;) stopped its activity in this century because it didn't function as it was expected to, that is, to carry water to Olissipo (the ancient Lisbon).

   In the 17^th century this region acquired a great importance.

    In the 18th  century most of the damaged  roman conduits, were rebuilt, which explains the lack of information connected to the period before the 19^th century.

    During the 19^th century, Caneças had an increasing development, attracting the people from Lisbon and other tourists, such as intellectuals, statesmen, artists, lords and noblemen, among  others. They went to Caneças to enjoy it’s natural conditions, such as the healthy smell of the pine trees, flowers, the charascteristic fresh air, the good water and well washed white clothes by the women of this area.

    When we talk about Caneças, we can’t forget the ”lavadeiras” (laundry women), because this was the most typical job of the countryside area, and it became an important landmark in the history of this village.

    The “lavadeiras” is activity was considered intense and it was passed on from mother to daughter.

    This job demanded special attention, in what concerns the careful washing of the clothes. The “lavadeiras” were elegant and pleasant and assumed themselves as an attraction in the streets of the capital, when they picked up or delivered the washed clothes to their customers.

    The ”lavadeiras” were characterized by their dresses, that were composed by a colorful scarf, half-boots and by the huge bundle of clothes that they carried on their heads.

In Caneças, the “lavadeiras” were immortalized by the movie,” The White Cloth Village”, which première was on January 2^nd 1939, starring Beatriz Costa, a famous Portuguese singer and actress in a script that showed the very simple way of life of the “lavadeiras”.

    Caneças and its suburbs, as well as most of the Lisbon surrounding area, belong to the so called “saloia” region.

    It is thought that the word “saloio” has an Arabian origin, yet there are plenty possibilities for its designation. One of the known theories for the word’s designation says that the inhabitants of this region were possibly North African natives, descendants of the Berbers that settled in Lisbon and suburbs, during the Muslim domain in the Iberian Peninsula.

    However the must considered professor David Lopes says that the word “saloio”, suggested the possibility that it comes from the Arabic çahrui (çahroi), which means countryman, in opposition to the people who live in a city (citadino).