Covilhã

Covilhã (pron. IPA: [kuvi'ʎɐ̃]) is a city and municipality in Centro region, Portugal. The municipality has an area of 555.6 km² and a total population of 53,501 inhabitants, being composed of 31 parishes. It is located in the Cova da Beira subregion, in the district of Castelo Branco. The municipal holiday is October 20.

Covilhã is located 300 km Northeast of Lisbon, 100 km East of Coimbra, and at the bottom of the highest Portuguese mountain range, Serra da Estrela. Sometimes referred to as town of wool and snow, Covilhã is one of the main urban centres of the historical Beira Interior region. Covilhã towers between 450 and 800 metres above the sea level, thus the mountain landscape is ever present. The climate is moderately cold in the winter and hot in the summer. The proximity of the mountains offers exquisite scenery and a great environment for those fond of hiking, camping, mountain climbing and skiing.

1 History and landmarks
2 Education
3 Economy
4 Events and recreation
5 Sport
6 Transportation
7 Parishes
8 Famous inhabitants
9 Politics
10 See also
11 External links

[edit] History and landmarks

Its 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. 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. A school-factory was built by the Count of Ericeira in 1681. A Royal Textile Factory, was established in the city by the Marquis of Pombal in 1763, and Covilhã was granted city status in 20th October 1870 by king Luís I of Portugal. Along the two streams that cross the city there are still remains of the old textile factories, which bear witness to the unquestionable importance of this industry for Covilhã's economy, once known as the "Portuguese Manchester". A state-run university, UBI - Universidade da Beira Interior, was founded in 1979. The city is still expanding, mainly to the flat part of the valley called Cova da Beira, where some important infrastructures such as the central hospital and the highway are located.

[edit] Education

Covilhã has a public university, the University of Beira Interior, which was founded in 1979 and awards degrees in several fields ranging from medicine and biomedical sciences to aeronautical engineering to mathematics.

[edit] Economy

Major economic activities in the region include textiles and agriculture. Light industries account for a modest part of regional product. The University of Beira Interior (established in 1979) has a great importance in the city today. Covilhã is traditionally a center of wool and textile industries, the university central building was the Royal Textile Factory, established by the Marquis of Pombal in the 18th century. Covilhã has deep industrial roots and is still one of the biggest woollens producers in Europe. Tourism is also important, and the city has a role as a winter resort.

There is a large shopping centre in Covilhã, Serra Shopping [1], 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, Intermarché and Lidl. The Public Market (Mercado Municipal) is another option and an opportunity to buy fresh produce directly from the producers.

[edit] Events and recreation

There are seven cinemas and one theatre in the city. The Town Hall of Covilhã is responsible for the cultural programming of one of the movie theatres of the town which has a wide variety of activities throughout the year. There are also various theatre companies: 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, and a film festival, IMAGO – Young Film and Video Festival, is also organised [2].

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, as well as the Orquestra da Banda Filarmónica. At the university there are some student musical groups that reveal the academic environment and celebrate the 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, that is located in the heart of the city centre (Pelourinho). The theatre company GICC (Companhia de Teatro das Beiras), seated in Travessa da Tapa, offers professional and 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 [3].

Like other university towns Covilhã has an intense nightlife. Due to the small dimension of the city, it is safe to go out, thus the resulting atmosphere is familiar and there are many pleasant places to have a drink.

A freshmen reception week, organised by the students's union of the University of Beira Interior (Associação Académica da Universidade da Beira Interior), takes place in November and includes a parade through town and several concerts.

[edit] Sport

The city has indoor swimming pools and there are also rivers and lakes where swimming is allowed. Facilities for horse riding and karting are also available. The mountain range has excellent conditions for trekking, climbing, skiing and snowboarding. There are tracks with artificial snow that are open all year. There are several gyms offering various services such as sauna, fitness, martial arts, and yoga.

Sporting Clube da Covilhã, a sports club founded in 1923 in Covilhã, is the most important sporting organization in the city. Its football (soccer) team now plays in the secondary national divisions, but in the past played in the top division. It is one of the few clubs of Portugal's interior to have played in the top division of Portuguese football. The football team plays in the Complexo Desportivo da Covilhã, a multi-use stadium able to hold 6,125 people (all-seated).

[edit] Transportation

The nearest airports are located in Lisbon and Porto. From these two cities, Covilhã can be very easily reached both by train and coach. The train and coach 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 coach from abroad.

Covilhã is located, less than 300 km from Lisbon and Porto, the two biggest cities in Portugal and just 400 km from the Spanish capital, Madrid. Several national and international bus routes pass Covilhã, so it is easy and practical to reach almost all destinies. To reach Lisbon it takes 3.5h - 4h of journey, by bus or by train. The bus station is situated in the lower part of the city; and the train station is near, not more than 10 minutes walking. The railway company is CP - Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses and offers various types of services. Inter City (Intercidades) train is recommended to reach Covilhã. There are also car rental companies in the city.

A bus network – Transportes Urbanos da Covilhã (TUC) – covers all the urban area as well as the outskirts of the city making it easy to travel both within and outside the city limits. Several bus lines serve university buildings. Cabs are also an option. They are painted cream 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.

The Aeródromo da Covilhã, an aerodrome, is used for recreation and aeronautical sports.

[edit] Parishes

Aldeia de São Francisco de Assis
Aldeia do Souto
Barco
Boidobra (Covilhã)
Canhoso
Cantar-Galo (Covilhã)
Casegas
Conceição (Covilhã)
Cortes do Meio
Coutada
Dominguizo
Erada
Ferro
Orjais
Ourondo
Paul
Peraboa
Peso
Santa Maria (Covilhã)
São Jorge da Beira
São Martinho (Covilhã)
São Pedro (Covilhã)
Sarzedo
Sobral de São Miguel
Teixoso
Tortosendo
Unhais da Serra
Vale Formoso
Vales do Rio
Verdelhos
Vila do Carvalho (Covilhã)

[edit] Famous inhabitants

Pêro da Covilhã (c. 1460 – after 1526), a Portuguese diplomat and explorer.
José Vizinho
Rui Faleiro, Portuguese cosmographer, astrologer, and astronomer who was the principal scientific organizer behind Ferdinand Magellan's circumnavigation of the world.
Francisco Faleiro
José Sócrates, Prime Minister of Portugal

[edit] Politics

The present mayor is Carlos Alberto Pinto, elected by the Social Democratic Party.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Municipalities of the District of Castelo Branco
Belmonte \| Castelo Branco \| Covilhã \| Fundão \| Idanha-a-Nova \| Oleiros \| Penamacor \| Proença-a-Nova \| Sertã \| Vila de Rei \| Vila Velha de Ródão