Almeida, Portugal


Almeida is a fortified village 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. The municipality population in 2011 was 7,242, in an area of. 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 west of the border with Spain and straddles the N332 road. The Rio Côa run northwards a short distance to the west of the village. The town's castle fortress was completed in 1641 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.

Twin town

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. This name refers to a legend that an ornate bejeweled table captured by Tariq ibn Ziyad was the dining table of King Solomon.

Sancho I, ''The Populator''

The village of Almeida was captured from the Moors by the second king of Portugal, Sancho I 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, during the castle's final stages of completion.

Spanish occupation

During the Seven Years' War which involved most of the great powers of Europe, Spain with the help of France launched an attack on Portugal due to its alliance with Great Britain. As a result of the invasion Almeida was captured by Spain in 1762.

Almeida Fortress

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, ended spectacularly when a chance shell ignited the main gunpowder magazine, which exploded, killing 500 defenders and destroying most of the town.

Classified Heritage

See main article: Label: Lista de património edificado em Almeida
;Image:Porta da Vila.jpg|thumb|Village gate, in Castelo Bom

National monuments

  • Walls of the Square of Almeida
  • Castle of Castelo Bom
  • Castle of Castelo Mendo

    Buildings of public interest

  • Castelo Mendo Village
  • Pillory of Castelo Mendo
  • Pillory of Vale de Coelha
  • Church of Saint Michael
  • Necropolis of graves excavated in the rock
  • Church of Our Lady da Annunciation
  • Anta da Pedra de Anta

    Other monuments and museums

  • Picadeiro D'el Rey
  • Casamatas / Historical-Military Museum of Almeida
  • Quartel das Esquadras
  • Almeida Centre for the Study of Military Architecture
  • Malhada Sorda's Esnoga
See external links:

Economy

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.
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.

Parishes

Administratively, the municipality is divided into 16 civil parishes :
  • Almeida
  • Amoreira, Parada and Cabreira
  • Azinhal, Peva and Valverde
  • Castelo Bom
  • Castelo Mendo, Ade, Monte Perobolço and Mesquitela
  • Freineda
  • Freixo
  • Junça and Naves
  • Leomil, Mido, Senouras and Aldeia Nova
  • Malhada Sorda
  • Malpartida and Vale de Coelha
  • Miuzela and Porto de Ovelha
  • Nave de Haver
  • São Pedro de Rio Seco
  • Vale da Mula
  • Vilar Formoso

    Festivities and events

  • Ade
  1. Lamb Festival - 1st or 2nd Sunday of February
  2. Festivity of Saint Barbara
  3. Festivity of St. John
  • Aldeia Nova
  1. Festivity of Saint Mary Magdalene
  2. Festivity of Saint Barbara
  • Almeida
  1. Commemorations of the Siege of Almeida
  2. Festivity of Our Lady of the Snows
  3. Pilgrimage of the Lord of the Barge
  4. Municipal Holiday
  • Amoreira
  1. Festivity of Saint Bárbara
  2. Festivity of Our Lady of Fátima
  • Azinhal
  1. Festivity of St. Sebastian
  2. Traditional Festivity
  • Cabreira
  1. Festivity of Saint Mary Magdalene
  2. Festivity of Saint Barbara
  • Castelo Bom and Aldeia de S. Sebastião
  1. St. Sebastian
  2. Our Lady of Remedies
  3. Saint Anthony
  4. Saint Barbara
  5. Our Lady of Fátima
  • Castelo Mendo and Paraizal
  1. Our Lady of Fátima
  2. Saint Anthony
  • Freineda
  1. Saint Euphemia
  2. Bucho Festival
  • Freixo
  1. Our Lady of Nativity
  2. Easter's Day Pilgrimage
  3. Pilgrimage on Holy Sacrament Day
  • Junça
  1. Our Lady of the Monastery
  2. Saint Anthony
  3. St. Sebastian
  • Leomil and Ansul
  1. Saint Anthony
  2. Our Lady of Annunciation
  3. Our Lady of Conception
  • Malhada Sorda
  1. Pilgrimage – Our Lady of Help - the biggest pilgrimage of Guarda's Diocese, which attracts pilgrims to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Help all year round
  2. # Sunday Eucharist in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Help - every first Sunday of every month
  3. # Festivity of the Assumption of Our Lady - 15 August
  4. Festivities
  5. # Saint Michael
  6. # Saint Sebastian
  7. # Festivity of the Bachelors and Divine Holy Spirit
  8. # Festivity of the Lord
  9. Ceremonies of the Holy Week
  • Malpartida
  1. Our Lady of the Snows
  2. Saint Anthony
  3. St. Sebastian
  4. Saint Barbara
  • Mesquitela
  1. St. Sebastian
  2. Our Lady of the Infirm
  • Mido
  1. St. Roque
  2. Saint Anthony
  3. Our Lady of Fátima
  • Miuzela
  1. St. Sebastian
  2. Procession of the Steps
  • Monteperobolso
  1. St. Brás
  2. Saint Barbara
  3. Festival of the Emigrant
  4. Annual Festivity
  5. St. Martin's Festivities
  6. New Year's Eve
  • Nave de Haver and Poço Velho
  1. Saint Anthony
  2. Holiest Sacrament
  3. Our Lady of Fátima
  4. Saint Barbara
  5. Immaculate Conception
  6. St. Bartholomew
  • Naves
  1. Saint Anthony
  • Parada e Pailobo
  1. Saint Anthony
  2. St. Sebastian
  3. Festivity of the Roscas
  • Peva e Aldeia Bela
  1. Saint Mary Magdalene
  2. Holy Spirit
  3. St. Sebastian
  • Porto of Ovelha e Jardo
  1. Festivity of the Holiest Sacrament
  2. Festivity of Saint Amaro
  • São Pedro de Rio Seco
  1. Festivity of Our Lady of Good Success
  2. Festivity of St. Peter
  3. Festivity of St. Joseph
  4. Festivity of the Young Child
  • Senouras
  1. Saint Catherine
  2. Saint Luzia
  • Vale of Mula
  1. Saint Anthony
  2. Our Lady of Fátima
  3. Our Lady of Assumption
  4. Our Lady of Lourdes
  • Vale of Coelha
  1. Our Lady of Póvoa
  • Valverde
  1. Our Lady of Grace
  2. Saint Anthony
  • Vilar Formoso
  1. Immaculate Conception
  2. Festivity of Our Lady of Peace

    Transportation

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 of the municipality and the town of Vilar Formoso
The municipality is also served by a considerable network of national roads:
  • EN 16: Aveiro - Viseu - Guarda - Alto de Leomil - Castelo Mendo - Castelo Bom - Vilar Formoso
  • EN 332: V. N. Foz Côa - Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo - Almeida - Vilar Formoso - Nave de Haver - Sabugal - Penamacor - Idanha-a-Nova
  • EN 324: Pinhel - Valverde - Alto de Leomil - Parada - Sabugal
  • EN 340: EN 324 - Almeida
In summary, the distance between Almeida and nearby towns:
Dist.
18px		Time 18pxDist. EN Time EN Route EN
Guarda37 km25 min37 km40 min N324 + N16
Ciudad Rodrigo42 km30 min42 km40 min N332 + N-620
Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo------22 km20 min N332
Pinhel------25 km25 min N340 + N324
Sabugal------49 km50 min N340 + N324
Covilhã82 km55 min83 km1h20 min N340 + N324 + N16 + N18

; Distance and time to other important points in the country
Image:Flickr - nmorao - Estação de Vilar Formoso, 2007.12.08.jpg|thumb|Beira Alta Line at Vilar Formoso Station
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, Freineda, Castelo Mendo and Miuzela. All the mentioned ones are stops of the Regional service that links the stations of Vilar Formoso and Guarda, allowing the transfer to the Intercidades 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.
Vilar Formoso railway station is also served by the international Sud-Express and Lusitânia Comboio Hotel services, hotel trains that connect to Paris and Madrid, stopping in Ciudad Rodrigo and Salamanca and in cities like Valladolid, Burgos, Vitoria-Gasteiz, San Sebastián and Hendaye, in the case of the former; and Ávila for the latter.