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Almeida (European Portuguese pronunciation:[alˈmɐjðɐ]ⓘ) is a fortified village[1] and a municipality in the sub-region of Beira Interior Norte and the District of Guarda, Portugal. The town proper has a population of 1,300 people (2011). The municipality population in 2011 was 7,242,[2] in an area of 517.98 square kilometres (199.99 square miles).[3] It is located in Riba-Côa river valley. The present Mayor is António Baptista Ribeiro, elected by the Social Democratic Party. The municipal holiday is July 2.
Location
The village lies 7.2 kilometres (4.5 miles) west of the border with Spain and straddles the N332 road.[4] The Rio Côa run northwards a short distance to the west of the village. The town's castle fortress was completed in 1641[5] and is located to the north of the village and is approached through the two tunnel gates and dry moat named the Portas de São Francisco.
In and around the environment of Almeida, evidence of human occupation can be found dating back to the Bronze Age and Iron Age. Evidence has also been found of Roman occupation followed by the Suevi and the Visigoths.
The first fortifications constructed in the settlement were constructed by the Muslims who occupied the village until Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula. It was during this time that the current name was first used, in the form of the Arabic المائدة al-Ma'ida[6] ('the table').[7] This name refers to a legend that an ornate bejeweled table captured by Tariq ibn Ziyad was the dining table of King Solomon.[8]
Sancho I, The Populator
The village of Almeida was captured from the Moors by the second king of Portugal, Sancho I[9] in the 12th century because of its strategic position on the new country of Portugal's border with Spain. So important to the security of the country, Sancho had the village heavily fortified. The castle was refortified on three further occasions by King Dinis, King Manuel I and by King João VI. The present 12 pointed star fortification was constructed in 1641 to a Vaubanesque plan on which the French military engineer is believed to have personally worked,[9] during the castle's final stages of completion.
The fortress around the town guards an important cross-border road from Spain, and underwent several sieges. The siege of 1810, during the Peninsular War,[13] ended spectacularly when a chance shell ignited the main gunpowder magazine, which exploded, killing 500 defenders and destroying most of the town.[14]
The primary sector is the main source of wealth of the municipality of Almeida, similarly to the neighbouring municipalities of the interior. The agricultural and horticultural sector predominates as a complement to other family incomes, in which the smallholding stands out. Given its characteristics, combined with economic and social factors, it has low productivity levels.
Livestock comprises about 30 000 cattle and 10 000 sheep and goats.[15]
The food, wood and marble and granite processing industries are the most representative, although in general this sector is characterised by low productivity and occupies only about 5% of the working population of the municipality.
The structure of the industrial sector has changed significantly, through the dynamisation of the Vilar Formoso industrial park, an infrastructure consisting of 31 lots.
The tertiary sector assumes some expression in the parishes of Almeida and Vilar Formoso: Almeida, due to the fact that the administrative services inherent to a county seat, some bank agencies, law and accountancy offices as well as some traditional commerce and small hotels are located there; Vilar Formoso, due to its dynamics as the main land border, presents a significant number of bank agencies, hotels and commercial establishments.
The services considered of social nature have also acquired some relevance in the two towns and in several villages, through the work developed by the social solidarity institutions there, in the areas of support and welcoming of the elderly and also of support to early childhood.[16]
Parishes
Administratively, the municipality is divided into 16 civil parishes (freguesias):[17]
Almeida
Amoreira, Parada and Cabreira
Azinhal, Peva and Valverde
Castelo Bom (TL: Good Castle)
Castelo Mendo, Ade, Monte Perobolço and Mesquitela
Freineda
Freixo
Junça and Naves
Leomil, Mido, Senouras and Aldeia Nova (Aldeia Nova translates to New Village)
Malhada Sorda
Malpartida and Vale de Coelha
Miuzela and Porto de Ovelha
Nave de Haver
São Pedro de Rio Seco (TL: Saint Peter of the Dry River)
Pilgrimage of the Lord of the Barge (Sunday of Pentecost)
Municipal Holiday(2 July)
Amoreira
Festivity of Saint Bárbara (movable, August)
Festivity of Our Lady of Fátima (13 May)
Azinhal
Festivity of St. Sebastian (August)
Traditional Festivity (Easter Monday)
Cabreira
Festivity of Saint Mary Magdalene (22 July)
Festivity of Saint Barbara (August)
Castelo Bom and Aldeia de S. Sebastião
St. Sebastian (Weekend closest to January 20. Annual)
Our Lady of Remedies (movable, August)
Saint Anthony (June)
Saint Barbara (August)
Our Lady of Fátima (13 May)
Castelo Mendo and Paraizal
Our Lady of Fátima (13 May or closest Sunday)
Saint Anthony (August)
Freineda
Saint Euphemia (16 September)
Bucho (Tripe) Festival (March)
Freixo
Our Lady of Nativity (1st half of August)
Easter's Day Pilgrimage
Pilgrimage on Holy Sacrament Day
Junça
Our Lady of the Monastery (15 August)
Saint Anthony (June)
St. Sebastian (May)
Leomil and Ansul
Saint Anthony (2nd or 3rd week of August)
Our Lady of Annunciation (25 March - local holiday)
Our Lady of Conception (2nd or 3rd week of August)
Malhada Sorda
Altar and Image of Our Lady of Help
Pilgrimage – Our Lady of Help (5th to 9 September) - the biggest pilgrimage of Guarda's Diocese, which attracts pilgrims to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Help all year round
Sunday Eucharist in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Help - every first Sunday of every month (with the exception of other festivities on that date)
The town is served by the A25 Motorway, the main motorway linking Portugal and Spain which, in the territory of the municipality of Almeida, is connected to the rest of the road network via two interchanges:
Alto de Leomil: serves the western part of the municipality and the town of Almeida
Vilar Formoso: serves the arraiana area (east) of the municipality and the town of Vilar Formoso
The municipality is also served by a considerable network of national roads:
In terms of railways, the municipality of Almeida is crossed by the Beira Alta Line, being served by the Vilar Formoso station and the Aldeia stops (at the village of São Sebastião, parish of Castelo Bom), Freineda, Castelo Mendo (located near the village of Paraisal) and Miuzela. All the mentioned ones are stops of the Regional (CP) service that links the stations of Vilar Formoso and Guarda, allowing the transfer to the Intercidades(Intercities service) between the Guarda station and Lisbon, passing through cities like Coimbra and Santarém. Those who want to go north, namely to the cities of Porto, Aveiro, Braga, Guimarães or Viana do Castelo have to make an additional transfer at Pampilhosa or Coimbra-B stations.
Major General Augusto Monteiro Valente (Coimbra, 1944 - Coimbra, 2012) - originally from Miuzela. Military, April Captain who occupied the border of Vilar Formoso during the Carnation Revolution.
^St Louis - Coordinating Author, Regis (2009). Portugal - Lonely planet guide (7th ed.). Lonely Planet Publishers. pp. 380 to 381. ISBN 9781741790153. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)
^James, David (12 June 2012). A History of Early Al-Andalus: The Akhbar Majmu'a. Taylor & Francis. pp. 150. 9781136663048.
Portugal
