Vila Flor

Vila Flor
Municipality

The central square of Vila Flor

Flag

Coat of arms
Coordinates: 41°18′33″N 7°9′14″W / 41.30917°N 7.15389°W / 41.30917; -7.15389Coordinates: 41°18′33″N 7°9′14″W / 41.30917°N 7.15389°W / 41.30917; -7.15389
Country  Portugal
Region Norte
Subregion Douro
Intermunic. comm. Terras de Trás-os-Montes
District Bragança
Parishes 14
Government
  President Artur Guilherme Gonçalves Vaz Pimentel (PS)
Area
  Total 265.81 km2 (102.63 sq mi)
Population (2011)
  Total 6,697
  Density 25/km2 (65/sq mi)
Time zone WET/WEST (UTC+0/+1)
Postal code 5360
Area code 278
Website http://www.cm-vilaflor.pt

Vila Flor (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈvilɐ ˈfloɾ]) is a municipality in Portugal. Locally referred to as the Portuguese Capital of Olive Oil, Vila Flor is located in the Terra Quente Transmontana, in the southern part of the district of Bragança. The population in 2011 was 6,697,[1] in an area of 265.81 square kilometres (102.63 sq mi).[2]

History

The Roman fountain isolating human settlement to that period
One of the remaining archway gates of the walled city of Póvoa d´Álem Sabor

It was King Denis who, while travelling through the burg (then known as Póvoa d´Álem Sabor, became enchanted by the local landscape and, in 1286, renamed the district Vila Flor.[3] Around 1295, the King ordered the construction of a walled city, consisting of five gates, to protect the fledgling settlement and guard Portuguese interests in the territory.[3]

During the Middle Ages, this bouquet of flowers, as Cabral Adão once called it, became the home to many fleeing Jewish families, who settled in the territory to start farms, businesses of small industry (such as tanneries and jewelers).[3] King Manuel eventually conferred on the settlement an official charter (foral), later to be reformulated in May 1512.[3] An anti-Jewish, Manuel expelled the Jews from the municipality, whose remaining populous or army were then responsible for destroying the remaining homes.[3]

Geography

The mountainous terrain that divides the Vale de Vilariça
The municipal council offices and building along Avenida Marchel Carmona

Administratively, the municipality is divided into 14 civil parishes (freguesias):[4]

  • Assares e Lodões
  • Benlhevai
  • Candoso e Carvalho de Egas
  • Freixiel
  • Roios
  • Samões
  • Sampaio
  • Santa Comba de Vilariça
  • Seixo de Manhoses
  • Trindade
  • Vale Frechoso
  • Valtorno e Mourão
  • Vila Flor e Nabo
  • Vilas Boas e Vilarinho das Azenhas

Economy

Rich in history, tradition, monuments and citizenry, the municipality is also an important reference for agriculture, owing to the fertility of the Vale da Vilariça. Companies, such as Frize and Sousacamp, known within and outside of Portugal, are located in within its frontiers.

The growth of tourism has meant that lodgings have developed throughout the region, including hotels, establishments catering to rural- and agro-tourism. This includes the seasonal treks in the region to the municipalities camping site.

Notable citizens

References

  1. Instituto Nacional de Estatística
  2. Direção-Geral do Território
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Câmara Municipal, ed. (2013), História (in Portuguese), Vila Flor, Portugal, retrieved 24 August 2013
  4. Diário da República. "Law nr. 11-A/2013, pages 552 130-131" (pdf) (in Portuguese). Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Câmara Municipal, ed. (2013), Curiosidades (in Portuguese), Vila Flor, Portugal, retrieved 24 August 2013

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Thursday, November 05, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.