What is "comenda"

Comenda is a civil parish in the municipality of Gavião, Portugal. The population in 2011 was 890, in an area of 90.02 km².

In Portugal, a comenda is a benefit that was granted to knights in military orders, but now describes a purely honorary distinction. In the past, comenda could be a piece of land given as a reward for services, together with the duty to defend it from enemies and criminals. The holder of a comenda is called a 'comendador' (commendatory) in Portuguese.