Vila Real, Portugal

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Vila Real
Municipality
Square
Square
Flag of Vila Real
Flag		 Coat of arms of Vila Real
Coat of arms
250px
Coordinates: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Country  Portugal
Region Norte
Subregion Douro
Intermunic. comm. Douro
District Vila Real
Government
 • President Rui Santos (PS)
Elevation 450 m (1,480 ft)
Population (2011)
 • Total 51,850
Time zone WET/WEST (UTC+0/+1)
Postal code 5000
Area code 259

Vila Real is a municipality and simultaneously the capital and largest city of the Vila Real District, northern Portugal. The population in 2011 was 51,850,[1] in an area of 378.80 square kilometres (146.26 sq mi).[2] As of 2001 the city proper had a population of 24,481.[3]

Vila Real is ranked seventh in the list of Portugal's most livable cities in the survey of living conditions published by the Portuguese newspaper Expresso in 2007.[4]

History

The region shows traces of inhabitation during the paleolithic era, while the settlement of Panóias had a Roman presence. Vila Real itself was founded in 1289 by King Denis of Portugal, hence its name meaning Royal Town. It housed more members of the royal family during the Middle Ages than any other settlement in Portugal except the capital in Lisbon, and family Coats of Arms remain above old houses, some of which still occupied by those families. Vineyards were introduced to the municipality in 1764, growing red, white and rosé wines for export. Despite its royal presence, Vila Real only gained city status under the Portuguese Republic in 1925. [5]

Coat of Arms

The coat of arms of Vila Real - a sword embedded in a wreath of zambujeiro (wild olive tree) and the slogan Aleu - is derived from the decorative motif of the tomb of Pedro de Menezes, 1st Count of Vila Real, found in the Igreja da Graça in Santarém. 'Aleu' or 'aleo' is an old Portuguese term for a 'gaming stick' (as used in hockey or shuffleboard). It refers to a famous episode concerning Pedro de Menezes from shortly after 1415. Pedro de Menezes was engaged in an outdoor game in the king's presence when a messenger arrived reporting an imminent Moroccan attack on Portuguese-held Ceuta. Menezes is said to have raised his gaming stick (aleo) and told the king that "with that stick alone" he could defend Ceuta from all the power of Morocco. [6]

Main sights

File:VilaRealCathedral.jpg
Cathedral of Vila Real.
  • Capela da Misericórdia
  • Capela de São Brás e o túmulo de Teixeira de Macedo
  • Capela do Espírito Santo ou Capela do Bom Jesus do Hospital
  • Diogo Cão's house
  • Carvalho Araújo's house,
  • Brocas' house
  • Marqueses's house de Vila Real
  • Cathedral of Vila Real
  • St. Peter's church
  • Bom Jesus do Calvário church
  • Clérigos's church or "Capela Nova"
  • Pelourinho de Vila Real

Museums

Outside the city centre

  • Alvão Natural Park
  • Mateus' Palace
  • Quintela's tower
  • Mamoas de Justes
  • Mão do Homem, in Adoufe
  • Necrópole de S. Miguel da Pena
  • Santuário de Panóias, in Vale de Nogueiras

Education, science and technology

The city is the headquarters and main campus for the Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), a public university founded in 1986.

Transportation

Highways

Airfield

Vila Real airfield (VRL) - Located 4 km from city centre, near the Industrial Zone, in the Folhadela parish. Has a paved runway with 950×30 m. There's a scheduled airline service with Aero VIP to some domestic destinations.

Railway

File:Train Station VR PT.jpg
Railway station

The Corgo line was a metre gauge railway that connected the city to Regua, 25 km south, in the Douro valley. It closed for renovation in 2009, but due to spending cuts by the Portuguese Government the closure has become permanent. It followed the Corgo river valley and offered splendid views to the characteristic vineyards clinging on to almost vertical. Until 1990 the Corgo line also continued north to Chaves.

Urban Bus

The City Bus system in Vila Real is run by Corgobus. Has 5 lines and transported about 1.35 million people in 2008.

Main Distances

Civil Parishes

Vila Real's municipality consists of 20 freguesias or civil parishes, which are not all coexistent with the ecclesiastical parishes or paróquias. The civil parish Vila Real (Nossa Senhora da Conceição, São Pedro e São Dinis) is officially the city of Vila Real.

Administratively, the municipality is divided into 20 civil parishes (freguesias):[7]

File:Vila Real freguesias.gif
Civil parishes of Vila Real before 2013

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  • Abaças
  • Adoufe e Vilarinho de Samardã
  • Andrães
  • Arroios
  • Borbela e Lamas de Olo
  • Campeã
  • Constantim e Vale de Nogueiras
  • Folhadela
  • Guiães
  • Lordelo
  • Mateus
  • Mondrões
  • Mouçós e Lamares
  • Nogueira e Ermida
  • Parada de Cunhos
  • Pena, Quintã e Vila Cova
  • São Tomé do Castelo e Justes
  • Torgueda
  • Vila Marim
  • Vila Real (Nossa Senhora da Conceição, São Pedro e São Dinis)

Geography and climate

Located in a promontory, formed by the gorges of the Corgo and Cabril rivers, Vila Real has an elevation of 460 m. The Alvão and Marão mountains overlook the town on the North and West side, respectively, rising up to 1400 m.

Due to the geographical location, its climate is a mix between Temperate and Mediterranean. Winters are long, with negative temperatures and frequent frosts. Snowfalls usually occur at least 4 times a year. In Summer, it is common to reach temperatures near 40 °C.

Weather averages for Vila Real
Temperature
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Average
Highest °C 19,1 23,7 28,2 31,6 34,4 38,5 41,4 40,4 37,6 32,3 24,4 20,6
Average high °C 10,2 12,3 15,3 18,2 20,7 25,7 29,1 29,3 25,7 20,2 14,2 10,5 19,3
Average °C 6,2 7,4 10,2 12,6 14,9 19,0 21,4 21,6 19,1 14,4 9,7 6,6 13,6
Average low °C 2,3 2,6 5,2 6,9 9,1 12,2 13,8 13,9 12,5 8,7 5,2 2,7 7,9
Lowest °C -7,2 -6,3 -5,6 -2,0 0,0 4,0 6,5 6,1 2,4 -1,7 -5,2 -6,8
Precipitation
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total
Total mm 156,5 110,4 145,6 77,3 61,2 31,5 10,2 15,5 38,4 83,6 129,8 158,8 1018,8
Data from 1931 to 1960.

Sports

Sport Club Vila Real is the city's football club, founded in 1920. It has played in the Portuguese third and fourth tiers, currently competing in the fourth, the Terceira Divisao. [8]

Famous citizens

Twin towns — Sister cities

Vila Real is twinned with:

Electric Power

Vila Real was the 4th Portuguese town to have public supply of electricity, but it was the first to produce hydroelectric power, in 1894.[citation needed]

Gallery

  • Palau de Mateus.JPG

    Palácio de Mateus

  • Vila Real PT.jpg

    Panoramic view from the South

  • Torre de Quintela.JPG

    Quintela Tower

  • Cascata Agarez.jpg

    Agarez Waterfall

  • Street VR PT.jpg

    Typical Houses

  • Corgo VR PT.jpg

    Corgo River and Metallic Bridge in Vila Real

  • Santuario de Panoias Vila Real Portugal 01.jpg

    Panóias Sanctuary

  • Casa Diogo Cao.JPG

    Diogo Cão House

  • BMVR.jpg

    Public Library

  • TeatroVR-PT.jpg

    Theatre

  • DolceVitaDouro-VR-PT.jpg

    Shopping Centre

  • Centro Com. Dolce Vita Douro - Vila Real (Portugal).jpg

    Shopping Centre (interior)

External links

References

  1. ↑ Instituto Nacional de Estatística
  2. ↑ Direção-Geral do Território
  3. ↑ UMA POPULAÇÃO QUE SE URBANIZA, Uma avaliação recente - Cidades, 2004 Nuno Pires Soares, Instituto Geográfico Português (Geographic Institute of Portugal)
  4. ↑ Classificação Expresso das melhores cidades portuguesas para viver em 2007, Expresso
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ "Eu só com este páu, sou capaz de defender Ceuta, de todo o poder dos mouros", as reported in Portugal antigo e moderno, 1878, p.495.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ http://futeboltotal-victor.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/AF%20Vila%20Real
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