Vila de Rei
Encyclopedia
Vila de Rei (ˈvilɐ ðɨ ˈʁɐj) is a municipality in Portugal
with a total area of 191.3 km² and a total population of 3,354 inhabitants. The municipality is composed of three parishes and is located in the district of Castelo Branco.
A small county covered with pinewood
s, located precisely at the centre of Portugal, as the Milriça Peak, one of its most interesting monuments, is the tower rising at an altitude of 600 metres (2,000 feet) and built to mark the Mainland Portugal's geodesic
centre. In addition, the site offers a spectacular panoramic view over a vast territory and includes a small Geodesy Museum.
The present mayor is Maria Irene Barata, elected by the Social Democratic Party
. The municipal holiday is September 19.
origin and dates from the Iron Age
, having been classified as a National Monument
.
, roast kid or bucho recheado (stuffed pig's stomach), besides typical honey cakes and rice pudding
.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
with a total area of 191.3 km² and a total population of 3,354 inhabitants. The municipality is composed of three parishes and is located in the district of Castelo Branco.
A small county covered with pinewood
Pinewood
Pinewood may refer to:* Pine, a species of tree* Pinewood Studios, a major British film studio in Buckinghamshire-Places:in England* Pinewood, Suffolkin the United States* Pinewood, Florida* Pinewood, Minnesota...
s, located precisely at the centre of Portugal, as the Milriça Peak, one of its most interesting monuments, is the tower rising at an altitude of 600 metres (2,000 feet) and built to mark the Mainland Portugal's geodesic
Geodesic
In mathematics, a geodesic is a generalization of the notion of a "straight line" to "curved spaces". In the presence of a Riemannian metric, geodesics are defined to be the shortest path between points in the space...
centre. In addition, the site offers a spectacular panoramic view over a vast territory and includes a small Geodesy Museum.
The present mayor is Maria Irene Barata, elected by the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (Portugal)
The Social Democratic Party , is a centre-right liberal conservative political party in Portugal. It is commonly known by its initials, PSD; on ballot papers, its initials appear as PPD/PSD, with the first three letters coming from the party's original name, Democratic People's Party...
. The municipal holiday is September 19.
Monuments and landmarks
At the small town of Vila de Rei, it is worth admiring the 18th century Parish Church and the Miserichord Chapel. A natural curiosity of Vila de Rei is the Penedo Furado (pierced boulder), which has been adapted to shelter two belvederes, set on a rocky platform surrounded by woods and small water-falls. The Saint Michael Castro, on the top of the Ladeira mountains, at an altitude of about 493 metres (1,600 ft), is a fortified and walled settlement considered to be of CelticCeltici
]The Celtici were a Celtic tribe or group of tribes of the Iberian peninsula, inhabiting three definite areas: in what today are the provinces of Alentejo and the Algarve in Portugal; in the Province of Badajoz and north of Province of Huelva in Spain, in the ancient Baeturia; and along the...
origin and dates from the Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
, having been classified as a National Monument
Monuments of Portugal
The Monuments of Portugal were constructed throughout the Portuguese territory, and date back to the period of pre-historic settlement of occupation. Subsequently, the region that is today Portugal has been colonized by many civilizations, which have left marks in the territory, constructing...
.
Gastronomy
Typical gastronomy in the region includes dishes such as fish soupFish soup
Fisherman's Soup or halászlé ; , ribena chorba; , ribina čorba) is a hot, spicy paprika-based river fish soup, originating as a dish of Hungarian cuisine, a bright red hot soup prepared with generous amounts of hot paprika and carp or mixed river fish, characteristic for the cuisines of the...
, roast kid or bucho recheado (stuffed pig's stomach), besides typical honey cakes and rice pudding
Rice pudding
Rice pudding is a dish made from rice mixed with water or milk and sometimes other ingredients such as cinnamon and raisins. Different variants are used for either desserts or dinners. When used as a dessert, it is commonly combined with a sweetener such as sugar.-Rice pudding around the world:Rice...
.
Parishes
- Fundada (676 inhabitants - 2001 Census)
- São João do Peso (174 inhabitants - 2001 Census)
- Vila de Rei (2,504 inhabitants - 2001 Census)