Vila de Rei (; "Royal City") is a municipality in the

district of Castelo Branco Castelo Branco District ( pt, Distrito de Castelo Branco ) is located in Central Portugal. Its capital is Castelo Branco, which is now also its most populous city, overtaking Covilhã, which was once the largest city, in the late 2010s. It has ...

in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 3,452,Instituto Nacional de Estatística
in an area of 191.55 km².Áreas das freguesias, concelhos, distritos e país
/ref> A small municipality covered with

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accep ...

woods, located precisely at the centre of Portugal, as marked by the Picoto da Melriça, a monument indicating the geodesic centre of

Mainland Portugal Continental Portugal ( pt, Portugal continental, ) or mainland Portugal comprises the bulk of the Portuguese Republic, namely that part on the Iberian Peninsula and so in Continental Europe, having approximately 95% of the total population and 9 ...

. In addition, the site offers a spectacular panoramic view over a vast territory and includes a small Geodesy Museum. The present mayor is Ricardo Jorge Martins Aires, elected by the

Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...

. 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 Penedo Furado is a waterfall and lake located in the parish of Vila de Rei, in Vila de Rei Municipality in the Castelo Branco, Portugal. Description The area of Penedo Furado is one of the most attractive sights of the small town Vila de Rei ...

'' (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

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...

origin and dates from the

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...

, having been classified as a

National Monument A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a spec ...

. Vila de Rei is also on the route of shale villages having one of the most beautiful examples is the Água Formosa. The Geodesic Center of Portugal is also located on this municipality, at the Melriça ridge.

Gastronomy

Typical gastronomy in the region includes dishes such as

fish soup Fish soup is a food made by combining fish or seafood with vegetables and stock, juice, water, or another liquid. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a ...

, roast kid or ''bucho recheado'' (stuffed pig's stomach), besides typical honey cakes and

rice pudding Rice pudding is a dish made from rice mixed with water or milk and other ingredients such as cinnamon, vanilla and raisins. Variants are used for either desserts or dinners. When used as a dessert, it is commonly combined with a sweetener such ...

Parishes

Administratively, the municipality is divided into 3 civil parishes (''

freguesias ''Freguesia'' (), usually translated as "parish" or "civil parish", is the third-level administrative subdivision of Portugal, as defined by the 1976 Constitution. It is also the designation for local government jurisdictions in the former Port ...

''): * Fundada (638 inhabitants - 2011 Census) * São João do Peso (204 inhabitants - 2011 Census)Includes the locations of Algar, Cimo de Valongo, S. João do Peso, Portela dos Colos and Sesmarias. * Vila de Rei (2,610 inhabitants - 2011 Census)

Notable people

Regina Tavares da Silva Regina Tavares da Silva is a Portuguese politician, feminist, historical researcher and an international expert on women's rights. She has chaired several women's organizations, both Portuguese and international. She is arguably best known for h ...

(born ca.1938 in Vila de Rei) a Portuguese politician, feminist, historical researcher and an international expert on women's rights.

Notes

External links

Town Hall official websitePhotos from Vila de Rei
Populated places in Castelo Branco District Municipalities of Castelo Branco District {{CasteloBranco-geo-stub