Avis (), formerly spelled Aviz, is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in the District of Portalegre in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 4,571, in an area of 605.97 km². The present Mayor is Nuno Silva, elected by the

Unitary Democratic Coalition The Unitary Democratic Coalition (, CDU) is an electoral and political coalition between the Portuguese Communist Party () and the Ecologist Party "The Greens" ( Portuguese: Partido Ecologista "Os Verdes" or PEV). The coalition also integrates ...

. The municipal holiday is

Easter Monday Easter Monday is the second day of Eastertide and a public holiday in more than 50 predominantly Christian countries. In Western Christianity it marks the second day of the Octave of Easter; in Eastern Christianity it marks the second day of Br ...

History

The fortified city, of which parts have been preserved, was home to the Knights of the Order of Aviz. The Order grew into the

Kingdom of Portugal The Kingdom of Portugal was a Portuguese monarchy, monarchy in the western Iberian Peninsula and the predecessor of the modern Portuguese Republic. Existing to various extents between 1139 and 1910, it was also known as the Kingdom of Portugal a ...

's second dynasty, the

House of Aviz The House of Aviz (Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''Casa de Avis'' ), also known as the Joanine Dynasty (''Dinastia Joanina''), was a dynasty of Portuguese people, Portuguese origin which flourished during the Portuguese Renaissance, Renaissanc ...

, and its name today subsists as one of the

Portuguese Republic Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it shares the longes ...

's highest military honors.

Gallery

File:Avis.jpg, Bridge into the town. File:Avis3.jpg, Church and convent of São Bento of Avis.

Climate

Parishes

Administratively, the municipality is divided into 6 civil parishes (''

freguesias (), usually translated as "parish" or "civil parish", is the third-level administrative subdivision of Portugal, as defined by the 1976 Constitution. It is also the designation for local government jurisdictions in the former Portuguese overs ...

''): * Alcórrego e Maranhão * Aldeia Velha * Avis * Benavila e Valongo * Ervedal * Figueira e Barros

References

External links