in the late middle ages, several chronicles (such as those of duarte nunes de leão and rui de pina) mentioned sacavém. these two chroniclers stated that the royal family, before the conquest of ceuta in 1415, fled to sacavém, in order to escape from the plague that arose in lisbon. there the queen-consort philippa of lancaster died of the plague, her body was carried to batalha monastery where her remains were buried. however, another chronicler, gomes eanes de zurara reports that the royal family fled to odivelas (and therefore not to sacavém), and that the queen died there.