Covilhã
Covilhã | |
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UTC±00:00 (WET) | |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+01:00 (WEST) |
Local holiday | October 20 |
Website | cm-covilha.pt |
Covilhã (Portuguese pronunciation:
History
Covilhã's history dates back to the days when it was a pre-historical settlement, a shelter for Lusitanian shepherds, and a Roman fortress known as Cava Juliana or Silia Hermínia. The region of Beira Interior, where the city of Covilhã is located, is rich in historical places. Due to its strategic potential, its mountains were used to build castles for both attack and defence purposes. Covilhã was granted foral in 1186 by king Sancho I of Portugal, who also built the castle walls. And, later, it was king Denis of Portugal who ordered the construction of the walls of the admirable medieval district of Portas do Sol. The old quarters of the city have narrow cobblestone streets; pedestrians are challenged permanently by the ups and downs of most of the streets in the city.
It was already in the
The expansion overseas started with the
Among the missionaries we find
The importance of Covilhã, in this period, is explained not only by the "notable" title granted to it by king
The two streams that come down from the Serra da Estrela, Carpinteira and Degoldra, cross the urban center and were at the origin of the industrial development. They provided the hydraulic energy that allowed the factories to work. Next to these two streams, today an interesting industrial archaeological site can be seen, composed of dozens of ruined buildings. A school-factory was built by Fernando de Meneses, 2nd Count of Ericeira in 1681. On November 1, 1755, Covilhã was shaken by the forces of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake that destroyed part of Covilhã's castle walls and its large towers.
A Royal Textile Factory was established in the city by the
During the first half of the 19th century, the municipality of Covilhã had about 22,000 inhabitants, and in 1930 it nearly reached 50,000 inhabitants. During the 1960s, Covilhã's municipality surpassed 70,000 inhabitants, but the
Geography
Covilhã is located in the
The city of Castelo Branco is located 50 km (31 mi) to the south of Covilhã and the neighboring city of Fundão, the largest locality in the vicinities of Covilhã, is 20 km (12.4 mi) also to the south.
The city of Covilhã towers between 450 and 800 metres (1,476 and 2,624 feet) above the sea level, thus the mountain landscape is ever present. The larger municipality has 555.6 km2 (214.5 sq mi) of territory and includes several localities distributed across 31 civil parishes.
In the municipality of Covilhã but outside the urban area, Penhas da Saúde is one of its highest points. At 1,500 metres (4,821 ft) high, this village and winter resort is located within the Serra da Estrela Natural Park.
Climate
The climate in Covilhã is Mediterranean (Csa, according to the Köppen climate classification), moderately cold in the winter and relatively warm in the summer. There is the Serra da Estrela Ski Resort, the only ski resort in Portugal, 20 km (12.4 mi) away from the city, actually in the neighbouring municipality of Seia.
The cold increases according to altitude, varying from higher temperatures in the lower parts of the city to negative temperatures and snow occurrences, sometimes abundant, in the higher areas, such as Penhas da Saúde, above 1,500 meters of altitude, only 9 km away from Torre (Serra da Estrela). In the urban area of Covilhã the snow rarely appears and usually does not accumulate on the ground.
The hottest month is August, with an average temperature of 22.2 °C (72.0 °F), while the coldest month is January, with an average of 6.2 °C (43.2 °F). The average annual temperature of Covilhã is 13.6 °C (56.5 °F) and the average annual rainfall is around 1,500 millimetres (59 in).
Climate data for Covilhã, Portugal, precipitation 1985-2021, altitude: 719 m (2,359 ft) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 9.4 (48.9) |
11.2 (52.2) |
13.5 (56.3) |
16.4 (61.5) |
19.2 (66.6) |
24.7 (76.5) |
28.1 (82.6) |
28.4 (83.1) |
24.4 (75.9) |
18.9 (66.0) |
13.1 (55.6) |
9.8 (49.6) |
18.1 (64.6) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 6.2 (43.2) |
7.4 (45.3) |
9.5 (49.1) |
11.8 (53.2) |
14.3 (57.7) |
19.1 (66.4) |
21.9 (71.4) |
22.2 (72.0) |
19.1 (66.4) |
14.7 (58.5) |
9.7 (49.5) |
6.7 (44.1) |
13.6 (56.4) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 3.1 (37.6) |
3.6 (38.5) |
5.6 (42.1) |
7.2 (45.0) |
9.5 (49.1) |
13.5 (56.3) |
15.7 (60.3) |
16.0 (60.8) |
13.9 (57.0) |
10.5 (50.9) |
6.3 (43.3) |
3.6 (38.5) |
9.0 (48.3) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 209.7 (8.26) |
156.4 (6.16) |
116.3 (4.58) |
123.8 (4.87) |
84.5 (3.33) |
32.7 (1.29) |
8.3 (0.33) |
17.8 (0.70) |
59.3 (2.33) |
198.6 (7.82) |
217.3 (8.56) |
238.5 (9.39) |
1,463.2 (57.62) |
Source 1: Climate-data.org[4] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: Portuguese Environment Agency (precipitation)[5] |
Climate data for Penhas da Saúde, Portugal altitude: 1,606 m (5,269 ft) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 4.4 (39.9) |
5.0 (41.0) |
6.4 (43.5) |
8.8 (47.8) |
11.5 (52.7) |
17.2 (63.0) |
20.8 (69.4) |
21.1 (70.0) |
17.3 (63.1) |
12.1 (53.8) |
7.1 (44.8) |
4.8 (40.6) |
11.4 (52.5) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 1.6 (34.9) |
2.0 (35.6) |
3.2 (37.8) |
5.2 (41.4) |
7.8 (46.0) |
12.9 (55.2) |
16.1 (61.0) |
16.5 (61.7) |
13.3 (55.9) |
8.9 (48.0) |
4.3 (39.7) |
2.1 (35.8) |
7.8 (46.1) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −1.1 (30.0) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
0.1 (32.2) |
1.7 (35.1) |
4.1 (39.4) |
8.7 (47.7) |
11.4 (52.5) |
11.9 (53.4) |
9.4 (48.9) |
5.8 (42.4) |
1.5 (34.7) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
4.3 (39.8) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 261 (10.3) |
237 (9.3) |
182 (7.2) |
131 (5.2) |
116 (4.6) |
83 (3.3) |
22 (0.9) |
18 (0.7) |
67 (2.6) |
161 (6.3) |
234 (9.2) |
198 (7.8) |
1,710 (67.4) |
Source: Climate-data.org[6] |
Parishes
Administratively, the municipality is divided into 21 civil parishes (
- Aldeia de São Francisco de Assis
- Barco e Coutada
- Boidobra
- Cantar-Galo e Vila do Carvalho
- Casegas e Ourondo
- Cortes do Meio
- Covilhã e Canhoso
- Dominguizo
- Erada
- Ferro
- Orjais
- Paul
- Peraboa
- Peso e Vales do Rio
- São Jorge da Beira
- Sobral de São Miguel
- Teixoso e Sarzedo
- Tortosendo
- Unhais da Serra
- Vale Formoso e Aldeia do Souto
- Verdelhos
Education
The municipality of Covilhã has several
, and many others.Economy
Major economic activities in the region include
The textile industry produces about 40,000 km of fabric per year, mainly through companies like Paulo de Oliveira,
Tourism is also important, and the city serves as a winter and mountain resort. Fruit production is important in the region of Cova da Beira, a subregion centered in Covilhã's municipality. Frulact, a Portuguese fruit processing company, has major industrial facilities in the municipality of Covilhã.
The city has a science park, Parkurbis, which has attracted several new businesses to the area. There is a large shopping centre in Covilhã, Serra Shopping,[11] and besides a wide variety of shops, it has hypermarket, four cinemas and many restaurants. Hypermarkets and supermarkets located in the lower part of the town include Continente (inside Serra Shopping), Intermarché, Pingo Doce, and Lidl. The Public Market (Mercado Municipal) is another option and an opportunity to buy fresh produce directly from the producers. Covilhã hosts one of the biggest data centres in Europe, with the capacity to store 30 petabytes of information at onset. The building, which belongs to Altice, opened in September 2013 and has a floor area the size of 13 football pitches.
Culture
The City Hall of Covilhã used to be responsible for the cultural programming of one of the movie theatres of the town which has a wide variety of activities throughout the year. This theatre is now closed. There are also various theatre companies: Teatrubi, ASTA, Teatro das Beiras and Quarta Parede that stage theatre and multimedia productions throughout the year. A theatre festival is organised by a local theatre company, Teatro das Beiras, in November.
The city hosts several choirs and orchestras, like the well-known university choir and the EPABI orchestra, which is based in the building near the public garden (location has now changed to the lower parts of the city), as well as the Orquestra da Banda Filarmónica. At the university, there are student musical groups that reflect the academic environment and celebrate its traditions. They are called Tunas and each one has particular characteristics. Desertuna, Moçoilas Tuna and J’ B’ubi & To Kokuskopus perform throughout the year and welcome everyone that wants to join in and get into the academic spirit. The city hall organizes some musical events, mainly in Teatro Cine, which is located in the heart of the city centre (Pelourinho).
The theatre company GICC (Companhia de Teatro das Beiras), based in Travessa da Tapa, offers professional, high-quality performances. There are also various amateur drama groups and dance groups performing in several town locations; ASTA and TEATRUBI are just some examples. Conferences, exhibitions, trade fairs, concerts and other kinds of activities are common in the city. Several trade fairs occur throughout the year in a pavilion belonging to the ANIL – National Association of Textile Manufacturers ANIL.
Like other university towns Covilhã has a lively nightlife scene. Due to the small dimension of the city, it is easy and safe to get around, and there are many pleasant places to have a drink.
A freshmen reception week, organised by the students' union of the University of Beira Interior (Associação Académica da Universidade da Beira Interior), takes place usually in November and includes a parade through town called
Cuisine
The cuisine of Covilhã is influenced by those of Serra da Estrela and the Cova da Beira..[12][13][14]
The pastel de molho, a typical pastry of Covilhã made with a meat-based core and a saffron-based sauce, is regarded as the city’s gastronomic delicacy.[16][17]
Cherovia (Pastinaca sativa), informally described as a type of white carrot, is also a typical food in and around Covilhã.[18]
Sport
The city has indoor swimming pools and there are also rivers and lakes where swimming is allowed. Facilities for
.Transport
The nearest airports are located in Lisbon and Porto. From these two cities, Covilhã can be very easily reached both by train and bus. The railway and bus stations of Covilhã are within a walking distance from one to the other (10 minutes walk). It is also possible to reach Covilhã directly by bus from abroad.
Covilhã is located, less than 300 km from
From Covilhã northwards to Guarda trains were operated by diesel motorcars. This scenic stretch of mountainous rural line provides the strategic last leg of the Beira Baixa Railway linking it to Guarda via Belmonte. However, for twelve years it was closed for modernisation and electrification. The works, originally due for completion in 2011, were finally completed permitting reopening of the 46 km line to Guarda in May 2021[19] after serious funding issues due to the weakness of the Portuguese economy.
A bus network – Transportes Urbanos da Covilhã – covers the entire urban area as well as the outskirts of the city, making it easy to travel both within and outside the city limits, although the buses are infrequent (not less than 1 hour between buses). Several bus lines serve university buildings. Cabs are also an option. They are painted cream (mostly black these days) and sometimes have a roof-light to identify them. In town they use taximeters, but once outside urban boundaries the service is charged per km.
Notable residents
- Pêro da Covilhã (ca.1460 – after 1526), a Portuguese diplomat and explorer.[20]
- Mateus Fernandes (15C - 1515) a Portuguese architect, worked in the Manueline style
- Rui Faleiro (late 15C - 16C) Portuguese cosmographer, astrologer and astronomer who was the principal scientific organizer behind Ferdinand Magellan's circumnavigation of the world.
- José Sócrates (born 1957) brought up in Covilhã, Prime Minister of Portugal 2005 to 2011, accused in 2014 of corruption, tax evasion and money laundering, on going trial.
- Eugénia Melo e Castro (born 1958) a Portuguese singer-songwriter.[21]
- Adolfo Mesquita Nunes (born 1977) a Portuguese jurist and politician
- Miguel Gonçalves Mendes (born 1978) a Portuguese film director, screenwriter and producer.[22]
Sport
- César Brito (born 1964) a retired footballer with 260 club caps and 14 for Portugal
- Hélder Godinho (born 1977) a former footballer with 291 club caps
- João Real (born 1983) a Portuguese former footballer with 313 club caps
- Renato Margaça (born 1985) a retired footballer with over 400 club caps and 21 for Cyprus
- Nuno Coelho (born 1987) a retired footballer with over 430 club caps
- Sérgio Paulico (born 1991), footballer
Politics
The present mayor is Vitor Manuel Pinheiro Pereira, elected by the Socialist Party.
International Relations
Covilhã is
Gallery
-
View of Covilhã
-
Old paved street
-
Ruins of the Tuberculosis Sanatorium
-
Street sign linked to town's history
See also
- Centro, Portugal
- University of Beira Interior
References
- ^ "INE Census 2021: Covilhã (5 urban civil parishes); last updated: November 23, 2022". Retrieved 2022-12-29.
- ^ "INE Census 2021: Covilhã (21 civil parishes); last updated: November 23, 2022". Retrieved 2022-12-29.
- ^ "Áreas das freguesias, concelhos, distritos e país". Archived from the original on 2018-11-05. Retrieved 2018-11-05.
- ^ "Covilhã climate: Temperature Covilhã & Weather By Month - Climate-Data.org". en.climate-data.org.
- ^ "Monthly Precipitation Covilhã". APA. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
- ^ "Penhas da Saúde climate: Temperature Penhas da Saúde & Weather By Month - Climate-Data.org". en.climate-data.org.
- ^ Diário da República. "Law nr. 11-A/2013, pages 552 42-43" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Retrieved 21 July 2014.
- ^ "Paulo de Oliveira". www.paulo-oliveira.pt.
- ^ "Penteadora". www.penteadora.pt.
- ^ "Paulo de Oliveira". www.tessimax.com.
- ^ "Home". Serra Shopping.
- ^ "Serra da Estrela DOP - Cheese.com". www.cheese.com. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
- ^ Fernandes, Daniel. "Produtos Tradicionais Portugueses". Produtos Tradicionais Portugueses. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
- ^ "Queijo Serra da Estrela será candidato a património da UNESCO". www.jornaldenegocios.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-04-26.
- ^ Silva, Nuno M. (2014-10-18). "Tudo o que queria saber sobre a Beira Interior, Gastronomia Serrana e Características". Clube de Vinhos Portugueses (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-04-28.
- ^ Lusa, Agência. "Pastel de Molho da Covilhã já é marca registada". Observador (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-04-26.
- ^ "pasteldemolhodacovilha.pt – Covilhã" (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-04-26.
- ^ SAPO. "Pastinaca ou cherovia: saiba como utilizar a raiz com forma de cenoura e cor de nabo". SAPO Lifestyle (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-04-26.
- ^ International2021-05-05T13:22:00, Railway Gazette. "Portugal's Beira Baixa link reopens after 12 years". Railway Gazette International. Retrieved 2023-04-13.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 7 (11th ed.). 1911. pp. 344–345. .
- ^ "Eugenia Melo e Castro". IMDb. Retrieved 2023-04-13.
- ^ "Miguel Gonçalves Mendes". IMDb. Retrieved 2023-04-13.
External links
- Media related to Covilhã at Wikimedia Commons
- Covilhã's City Hall official website
- Fórum Covilhã
- Photos from Covilhã
- Covilhã's Blogue