Viseu

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Viseu

Vişeu is also a river in northern Romania.

Viseu (pron. IPA ^*) is both a city (capital of the District of Viseu) and a municipality in central Portugal. The municipality, with an area of 507.1 km², has a population of 96,810. (census 2001). Viseu is also one of the Grandes Áreas Metropolitanas - Greater Metropolitan Areas of Portugal with 354,162 habitants.

This important hub in the center of the country is crossed by an important European road link, the A25 (former IP5) that connects it to the seaport of Aveiro and Guarda and then on to Salamanca in Spain. The IP3, connecting Coimbra with Chaves on the Spanish border, crosses Viseu from south to north. Until the nineteen eighties Viseu had railway connections with the coast, but these were closed. Now the city is one of the largest cities in Europe with no railway connections.

History and Tourism

The city name goes back to the end of the Roman Empire and the early Middle Ages where its name is derived from the Roman term "viso", which means a good view. This was in accordance with where the original settlement was formed in Roman times, and was highest point.

After the Romans, in 693 AD it was captured by the Moors who held it for almost a century. Viseu is have a statue of Viriathus, the Lusitanians leader who fought the Romans for the freedom of the area called Lusitania.Viriathus was born in Loriga,Serra da Estrela,also in the Beira Alta. The cathedral dates from 830 AD.

Viseu was the birthplace of one of the greatest Portuguese painters of the sixteenth century: Grão Vasco (1475-1540), who today lends his name to a museum, a hotel, and even a brand of wine. The museum, installed in the old episcopal palace, shows some of his masterpieces and paintings of other painters of the period known as the school of Viseu.

The city is rich in churches, convents and chapels. In addition to the cathedral there are six major churches, four chapels, two convents, and the bishop´s palace. There is also a sacred art museum in the cathedral.

Geography

The city of Viseu has an almost central position in relation to the District lying on the so-called Viseu Plateau (port. Planalto de Viseu). It is surrounded by a mountainous system constituted to the north by the Leonil, Montemuro and Lapa hills, to the northeast by the Arado hills, to the south and southeast by the Serra da Estrela and the Lousã hills and to the west by the Caramulo hills.

The Municipality is characterized by an irregular surface with altitudes ranging between 400 and 700 metres. With a rough terrain, it has numerous water courses. These are found in three basins: the Vouga, the Dão and the Paiva.

Situated in a zone of transition, the concelho has several micro-climates. The Serra do Caramulo, located to the west of the city, plays an important role in climatic terms by lessening the influences of the western air masses (although the River Mondego's basin makes the penetration easier). Consequently, Viseu's climate is characterized by the existence of high temperature extremes, with rigorous and wet winters and hot and dry summers.

Demograpics

Due to important emigration in the decade of 1960, Viseu suffered a great decrease in its population. Together with the return of the people forced to leave the Portuguese ex-colonies, and natural economical development starting at the end of the decade of 1970, the municipality had increased its population by about 10 percent, giving it an estimated population of 83,261 people. After this date a certain stagnation set in confirmed by the census of 1991 which showed a population of 83,601.

Economy

The city is famous for its wine (called Dão) and annual agricultural fair. Local handicrafts include black pottery, bobbin lace, embroidery, and copper and wroughtiron articles. With the good connections to major industrial centers several industries have been installed in the city. Viseu, together with Leiria, is one of the fastest growing economic centers in the country.

Education

Viseu is the location of the Instituto Politécnico de Viseu. It has polytechnic schools of education, technology, and agronomy. The city has been pressuring the national government to upgrade this school into a university, but its desire was never achieved. There are also private institutions, such as branches of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, and the Instituto Piaget.

Parishes

Abraveses
Barreiros
Boa Aldeia
Bodiosa
Calde
Campo
Cavernães
Cepões
Coração de Jesus
Cota
Couto de Baixo
Couto de Cima
Fail
Farminhão
Fragosela
Lordosa
Mundão
Orgens
Povolide
Ranhados
Repeses
Ribafeita
Rio de Loba
Santa Maria de Viseu
Santos Evos
São Cipriano
São João de Lourosa
São José
São Pedro de France
São Salvador
Silgueiros
Torredeita
Vil de Souto
Vila Chã de Sá

External links

Viseu City Government
Instituto Superior Politécnico de Viseu
Photos of Viseu
Portal de Viseu
Notícias de Viseu a local newspaper (in Portuguese)
Portal de Tondela

Photos from Viseu

Cities in Portugal | Municipalities of Portugal

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