Pinhel () 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' ...

, former Catholic bishopric and present Latin

titular see A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbi ...

in the central subregion of

Beira Interior Norte Beira Interior Norte () is a former Portuguese subregion (NUTS level 3) in the Centro Region The Central Region (, ) or Central Portugal is one of the statistical regions of Portugal. The cities with major administrative status inside this regi ...

, in Portugal. The municipality population in 2011 was 9,627,Instituto Nacional de Estatística
/ref> in an area of 484.52 km². The urban centre of Pinhel had about 3500 residents in 2001.

History

The origins of this municipality date back to the Calcolithic period, as many of the remnants of ancient cultures from this period remain: namely the rock-art engravings and paintings that line the Côa valley in Cidadelhe. Part of the historic

district of Guarda The District of Guarda ( ) is located in the Centro Region of Portugal, except Vila Nova de Foz Côa, which is in the Norte Region. The district capital and most populous city is Guarda. It borders Castile and León (Spain). Municipalities Th ...

, the region obtained its name for many pine forests that covered the region's hills and mountains. There are also several references to a pre-Roman or Roman presence, suggesting a continual occupancy since this period. During the medieval period, owing to the defensive requirements of the fledgling nation, several fortified centres developed, including the Pinhel, but also along a line that included: Trancoso, Marialva, Guarda, Castelo Rodrigo, Almeida and Castelo Mendo. The Castle of Pinhel dates from the reign of King

Denis Denis may refer to: People * Saint Denis of Paris, 3rd-century Christian martyr and first bishop of Paris * Denis the Areopagite, Biblical figure * Denis, Bishop of Győr (13th century), Hungarian prelate * Denis, son of Ampud (died 1236), bar ...

and the keep tower from his descendant, King

Manuel I Manuel I may refer to: *Manuel I Komnenos Manuel I Komnenos (; 28 November 1118 – 24 September 1180), Latinized as Comnenus, also called Porphyrogenitus (; " born in the purple"), was a Byzantine emperor of the 12th century who reigned ov ...

. Pinhel's strategic position, along the frontier with Spain, made the monarchs of Portugal retain many of these fortifications, as well as allowing the development of their territorial claims. The historical centre, with its narrow roadways, were adapted from the morphology of the terrain, with many patrimonial references to the medieval and modern eras. The homes of the city of Pinhel, some dating from the 16th century, includes some lost references to the presence of a Jewish population at one time, such as along the ''Rua de Santa Maria''. Pinhel was, for a long time, the seat of its own diocese, before being incorporated into the

Diocese of Guarda The Diocese of Guarda () is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic church in central eastern Portugal, a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the Latin Patriarchate of Lisbon in southern Portugal. The present episcopal seat is in Guarda C ...

. The 17th and 18th century were periods of growth for the region, dominated the construction of estates, scattered in many of the historic corners of the municipality, some monumental and decorative. The urbanized area of Pinhel, the city of Pinhel, was elevated to this status in 1770.

Ecclesiastical history

In 1770.08.25 a bishopric was established as Diocese of Pinhel / Pinhelen(sis) (Latin adjective), on territory split off from the

Diocese of Lamego The Diocese of Lamego () is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in Portugal. History Lamego became Catholic when the Visigoths, Visigothic king Reccared I converted to Catholicism. According to local tradition, the city of Lamego rece ...

, apparently as

suffragan A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Catholic Church, a suffragan bishop leads a diocese within an ecclesiastical province other than the principal diocese, the metropolitan archdiocese; the diocese led ...

of the Metropolitan

Archdiocese of Braga The Archdiocese of Braga () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Portugal. It is known for its use of the Rite of Braga, a use of the liturgy distinct from the Roman Rite and other Latin liturgica ...

. The Church of the Saviour (Portuguese: Igreja do Salvador) served as

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

, until its demolition and substitution as such in 1797 by the convent church of St. Louis (Portuguese: Igreja de São Luís) as ordered by bishop Don Bernardo Bernardino Beltrão Freire. It was suppressed on 1881.09.30, its territory being merged into the

Residential Bishops of Pinhel

* João Rafael de Mendonça (1771.06.17 – 1771.07.29), next Bishop of

Roman Catholic Diocese of Porto The Diocese of Porto () (Oporto) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in Portugal. It is a suffragan of the archdiocese of Braga. Its see at Porto is in the Norte region, and the second largest city in Portugal. History The dioc ...

(Portugal) (1771.07.29 – death 1793.06.06) * Cristóvão de Almeida Soares (1773.03.08 – death 1782.02.11) * José António Pinto de Mendonça Arrais (1782.12.16 – 1797.12.18), next Bishop of

Guarda Guarda may refer to: * Guarda, Portugal, city in Portugal * Guarda District, the district containing that city * Roman Catholic Diocese of Guarda, Portugal, the diocese containing that city * Guarda, Switzerland, municipality in Grisons, Switzerlan ...

(Portugal) (1797.12.18 – death 1822.04.19) * Bernardo Bernardino Beltrão Freire (1797.12.18 – death 1828.07.19) * Leonardo de Sousa Brandão (1832.12.17 – death 1838) *

Apostolic Administrator An apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic admi ...

Father António Mendes Bello (1874 – 1881),

Titular Archbishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...

Mytilene Mytilene (; ) is the capital city, capital of the Greece, Greek island of Lesbos, and its port. It is also the capital and administrative center of the North Aegean Region, and hosts the headquarters of the University of the Aegean. It was fo ...

(1884.03.24 – 1884.11.13) as

Auxiliary Bishop An auxiliary bishop is a bishop assigned to assist the diocesan bishop in meeting the pastoral and administrative needs of the diocese. Auxiliary bishops can also be titular bishops of sees that no longer exist as territorial jurisdictions. ...

Patriarchate of Lisboa The Metropolitan Patriarchate of Lisbon () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or patriarchal archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. Its archiepiscopal see is the Patriarchal Cathedral of St. Mary Major, i ...

(Lisbon, Portugal) (1884.03.24 – 1884.11.13), next

Archbishop-Bishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdioc ...

of Diocese of Faro (Algarve, Portugal) (1884.11.13 – 1907.12.19), Latin Patriarch of

Lisboa Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...

(Lisbon, Portugal) (1907.12.19 – 1929.08.05), created

Cardinal-Priest A cardinal is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. As titular members of the clergy of the Diocese of Rome, they serve as advisors to the pope, who is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. ...

Ss. Marcellino e Pietro Saints Marcellinus and Peter (sometimes called ''Petrus Exorcista'' - Peter the Exorcist;Alban Butler, Kathleen Jones, Paul Burns, ''Butler's Lives of the Saints'' (Continuum International Publishing Group, 1997), 14. ) are venerated within the Cat ...

(1914.09.08 – 1929.08.05).

Titular see

In 1969 the diocese was nominally restored as Latin

Titular bishopric A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbish ...

of Pinhel (Português) / Pinhelen(sis) (Latin). It has had the following incumbents, so far of the fitting Episcopal (lowest) order : * Thomas Kiely Gorman (1969.08.22 – resigned 1971.01.21) on emeritate, formerly Bishop of

Reno Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada–California border. It is the county seat and most populous city of Washoe County, Nevada, Washoe County. Sitting in the High Eastern Sierra foothills, ...

(USA) (1931.04.24 – 1952.02.08), Titular Bishop of Rhasus (1952.02.08 – 1954.08.29) as

Coadjutor Bishop A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) ("co-assister" in Latin) is a bishop in the Latin Catholic, Anglican and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in administering the diocese. The coa ...

of Dallas–Fort Worth (Texas, USA) (1952.02.08 – 1954.08.29), succeeding as last Bishop of Dallas–Fort Worth (1954.08.29 – 1969.08.09), restyled 'first' Bishop of

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

(USA) (1969.08.09 – 1969.08.22); died 1980 * Mervyn Alban Alexander (1972.03.08 – 1974.12.20) as

Diocese of Clifton The Diocese of Clifton is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church centred at the Cathedral Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Clifton, England. The diocese covers the City and County of Bristol and the ceremonial counties of Gloucester ...

(England, UK) (1972.03.08 – 1974.12.20), succeeding as Bishop of Clifton (1974.12.20 – retired 2001.02.27); died 2010 * Hugo Mark Gerbermann, Maryknoll Fathers (M.M.) (1975.07.22 – death 1996.10.19) as Auxiliary Bishop of

Archdiocese of San Antonio The Archdiocese of San Antonio () is a Latin Church archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the United States. It encompasses in the U.S. state of Texas. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio had a self-reported 2018 population of 796,954, ...

(USA) (1975.07.22 – 1982.06.30) and on emeritate; previously Titular Bishop of

Amathus in Palæstina Amathus ( or ; in Eusebius, . was a fortified city east of the Jordan River, in modern-day Jordan. Location Its ruins may be those of Tell Ammata in the Jordan Valley or perhaps of Tell Hammeh. Both sites are in Jordan, west of Gerasa and south ...

(1962.06.06 – 1967.12.23) as only

Bishop-Prelate In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of holy orders and is responsible for teaching doctrine, governing Catholics in his jurisdiction, sanctifying the world and representing the c ...

of Territorial Prelature of Huehuetenango (

Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...

) (1961.08.08 – 1967.12.23) promoted first Bishop of Huehuetenango (1967.12.23 – 1975.07.22) * Manuel José Macário do Nascimento Clemente (1999.11.06 – 2007.02.22) as Auxiliary Bishop of Lisboa Patriarchate (Portugal) (1999.11.06 – 2007.02.22), next Bishop of

Porto Porto (), also known in English language, English as Oporto, is the List of cities in Portugal, second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. It is the capital of the Porto District and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto c ...

(Portugal) (2007.02.22 – 2013.05.18), Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of Portugal (2011 – 2013.06.19), Latin Patriarch of Lisbon Patriarchate (Portugal) (2013.05.18 – ...), President of Episcopal Conference of Portugal (2013.06.19 – ...), created

S. Antonio in Campo Marzio S is the nineteenth letter of the English alphabet. S may also refer to: History * an Anglo-Saxon charter's number in Peter Sawyer's, catalogue Language and linguistics * Long s (ſ), a form of the lower-case letter s formerly used where "s ...

(2015.02.14 015.06.14– ...) * Guillermo Martín Abanto Guzmán (2009.01.30 – 2012.10.30) as Auxiliary Bishop of

Archdiocese of Lima The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lima () is part of the Catholic Church in Peru which enjoys full communion with the Holy See. The Archdiocese was founded as the ''Diocese of Lima'' on 14 May 1541. The diocese was raised to the level of a metr ...

(Peru) (2009.01.30 – 2012.10.30), next Military Ordinary of

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

(Peru) (2012.10.30 – retired 2013.07.27) * Jorge Estrada Solórzano (2013.05.28 – ...), Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of (Ciudad) México (

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

), no previous prelature.

Geography

The municipality of Pinhel is geographically delimited, in its entirety para two waterways: the ''Ribeira do Massueime'' (in the west) and east by the

Côa River The Côa River () is a tributary of the Douro River, in central and northeastern Portugal. It is one of the few Portuguese rivers that flows south to north. It flows through the municipalities of Sabugal, Almeida, Portugal, Almeida, Pinhel, Figu ...

. It is located in the central part of the district of Guarda and confined by the municipalities of Almeida,

Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo () is a municipality in the District of Guarda (district), Guarda in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 5,150, in an area of 508.57 km2. Located in the Riba Coa (near the River Coa), just like other municipalities ...

Vila Nova de Foz Côa Vila Nova de Foz Côa () is a city and a municipality at the confluence of the rivers Douro and Côa in the district of Guarda, Portugal. The municipality covers an area of and it hosted a population of 6,304 people in 2021, while around 3,300 ...

Meda Meda may refer to: Places * Meda de Mouros, a parish in Tábua Municipality, Portugal * Medas, a parish in Gondomar Municipality, Portugal * Meda-Ela, Sri Lanka * Međa (Leskovac), village in the municipality of Leskovac, Serbia * Meda, Lombardy, ...

, Trancoso and

. The area includes a superficial area of , divided into 18 civil parishes, as well as one urban parish, the city/seat of Pinhel. The municipality is accessed by a rail-line, the Vila Franca das Naves line for , by the A25 roadway (connecting Pinhel and Pínzio, and internationally by its connection to Vilar Formoso, . The northern part of the municipality is part of the

Prehistoric Rock-Art Site of the Côa Valley Prehistory, also called pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the first known use of stone tools by hominins million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use o ...

, an archaeological and geological park known for its inscribed rock formations, created by primitive cultures along the Côa valley. This area, along with Foz Coa has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site for these primitive engravings. Pinhel is surrounded by

, Trancoso, Almeida,

Mêda Mêda () is a municipality in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 5,202, in an area of 286.05 km2. The city of Mêda proper had a population of 2,004 in 2001. It was promoted to city in December 2004. Municipality The municipality is located ...

and

, all those municipalities of the

Climate

Parishes

Administratively, the municipality is divided into 18 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 ...

''): * Alto do Palurdo * Alverca da Beira / Bouça Cova * Atalaia e Safurdão * Ervedosa * Freixedas * Lamegal * Lameiras * Manigoto * Pala * Pinhel * Pínzio * Souro Pires * Sul de Pinhel * Terras de Massueime * Valbom / Bogalhal * Vale do Côa * Vale do Massueime * Vascoveiro

Architecture

See above for church buildings. In addition, the following buildings and structures have been classified as national patrimony: * Castle of Pinhel ().

Notable people

José Dias Coelho José Dias Coelho (1923 in Pinhel – 1961 in Lisbon) was a Portuguese painter and sculptor, an anti-fascist and an important member of the Portuguese Communist Party. In his youth, José Dias Coelho joined the Antifascist Academic Front. Later ...

(1923 in Pinhel – 1961) a Portuguese painter and sculptor, an anti-fascist and member of the PCP

References

Sources and external links

GCatholic, with Google satellite photo - episcopal see of Pinhel

Photos from Pinhel

{{Authority control Municipalities of Guarda District Cities in Portugal