Vila de Rei (; "Royal City") is a municipality in the
district of Castelo Branco in
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
. The population in 2011 was 3,452,
[Instituto Nacional de Estatística]
in an area of 191.55 km
2.
[Áreas das freguesias, concelhos, distritos e país]
/ref>
A small municipality covered with pine
A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae.
''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...
woods, located precisely at the centre of Portugal, as marked by the Picoto da Melriça, a monument indicating the geodesic centre of Mainland Portugal. In addition, the site offers a spectacular panoramic view over a vast territory and includes a small Geodesy Museum.
The present mayor is Ricardo Jorge Martins Aires, elected by the Social Democratic Party
The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology.
Active parties
Form ...
. The municipal holiday is September 19.
Monuments and landmarks
At the small town of Vila de Rei, it is worth admiring the 18th century Parish Church and the Miserichord Chapel. A natural curiosity of Vila de Rei is the '' Penedo Furado'' (pierced boulder), which has been adapted to shelter two belvederes, set on a rocky platform surrounded by woods and small water-falls. The Saint Michael Castro, on the top of the Ladeira mountains, at an altitude of about 493 metres (1,600 ft), is a fortified and walled settlement considered to be of Celtic
Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to:
Language and ethnicity
*pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia
**Celts (modern)
*Celtic languages
**Proto-Celtic language
*Celtic music
*Celtic nations
Sports Foot ...
origin and dates from the Iron Age
The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...
, having been classified as a National Monument
A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a sp ...
.
Vila de Rei is also on the route of shale villages having one of the most beautiful examples is the Água Formosa.
The Geodesic Center of Portugal is also located on this municipality, at the Melriça ridge.
Gastronomy
Typical gastronomy in the region includes dishes such as fish soup, roast kid or ''bucho recheado'' (stuffed pig's stomach), besides typical honey cakes and rice pudding
Rice pudding is a dish made from rice mixed with water or milk and commonly other ingredients such as sweeteners, spices, flavourings and sometimes eggs.
Variants are used for either desserts or dinners. When used as a dessert, it is commonly c ...
.
Parishes
Administratively, the municipality is divided into 3 civil parishes ('' freguesias''):
* Fundada (638 inhabitants - 2011 Census)
* São João do Peso (204 inhabitants - 2011 Census)[Includes the locations of Algar, Cimo de Valongo, S. João do Peso, Portela dos Colos and Sesmarias.]
* Vila de Rei (2,610 inhabitants - 2011 Census)
Notable people
* Regina Tavares da Silva (born ca.1938 in Vila de Rei) a Portuguese politician, feminist, historical researcher and an international expert on women's rights.
Notes
External links
Town Hall official websitePhotos from Vila de Rei
Populated places in Castelo Branco District
Municipalities of Castelo Branco District
{{CasteloBranco-geo-stub