São João da Pesqueira () is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

and municipal seat in the

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

district of

Viseu Viseu () is a city and municipality in the Centro Region of Portugal and the capital of the district of the same name, with a population of 100,000 inhabitants, and center of the Viseu Dão Lafões intermunipical community, with 267,633 inhabita ...

. The population of the municipality in 2011 was approximately 7,874 inhabitants,Instituto Nacional de Estatística
/ref> in an area that extends .Áreas das freguesias, concelhos, distritos e país
/ref> The present mayor is Manuel Cordeiro, elected by a citizens' movement. The municipal holiday is June 24.

History

São João da Pesqueira is the oldest recognized municipality in the country, created in 1055, thus taking precedence over such major cities as

Coimbra Coimbra (, also , , or ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2011 census was 143,397, in an area of . The fourth-largest urban area in Portugal after Lisbon, Porto Metropolitan Area, Porto, and Bra ...

Guimarães Guimarães () is a city and municipality located in northern Portugal, in the district of Braga. Its historic town centre has been listed as a UNESCWorld Heritage Sitesince 2001, in recognition for being an "exceptionally well-preserved and a ...

Lamego Lamego (; cel-x-proto, Lamecum) is a city and municipality in the Viseu District, in the Norte Region, Portugal, Norte Region of the Douro Subregion, Douro in northern Portugal. Located on the shores of the Balsemão River, the municipality has a ...

Geography

The municipality is situated at above sea level and is bordered on the north by the

River Douro The Douro (, , ; es, Duero ; la, Durius) is the highest-flow river of the Iberian Peninsula. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in Soria Province, central Spain, meanders south briefly then flows generally west through the north-west part of ...

and the municipality of

Alijó Alijó () is a municipality in the Norte Region of Portugal, located in the district of Vila Real. The population in 2021 was 10,486, in an area of 297.60 km2. History There are several megalithic structures, dolmens and castros in Alijó ...

, on the northeast by

Carrazeda de Ansiães Carrazeda de Ansiães () is a municipality in the district of Bragança in northern Portugal. The population in 2011 was 6,373,Vila Nova de Foz Côa Vila Nova de Foz Côa () is a city and a municipality in the Guarda (district), district of Guarda, Portugal. The population in 2011 was 7,312,district of Guarda The district of Guarda ( pt, Distrito de Guarda ) is located in the Centro Region of Portugal, except Vila Nova de Foz Côa, which is in the Norte Region. The district capital and most populous city is Guarda. Municipalities The district conta ...

), on the south-east by

Penedono Penedono () is a List of Portuguese municipalities, municipality in the northern district of Viseu (district), Viseu in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 2,952, in an area of 133.71 km². History The Dolmen culture reached the regions ...

, on the south by

Sernancelhe Sernancelhe ( or ) is a municipality in the district Viseu, Portugal. The population in 2011 was 5671, in an area of 228.61 km2. The present mayor is Carlos Silva Santiago, elected by the Social Democratic Party. The municipal holiday is May ...

, on the west by

Tabuaço Tabuaço () is a municipality in the district Viseu in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 6,350, in an area of 133.86 km2. The present mayor is Dr. Carlos André Teles Paulo de Carvalho, elected by the Social Democratic Party (Portugal). T ...

and on the north-west by

Sabrosa Sabrosa () is a municipality in the district of Vila Real in northern Portugal. The population in 2011 was 6,361, in an area of 156.92 km². History Although the municipality was established on 6 November 1945, the history of the region e ...

. The municipality includes an attractive countryside with viewpoints over the Douro valley and the

Valeira dam Valeira Dam ( pt, Barragem da Valeira, links=no) is a concrete gravity dam on the Douro, where the river forms the border line between the districts of Viseu and Bragança. It is located in the municipality São João da Pesqueira, in Viseu Distr ...

from the chapel of São Salvador do Mundo (Ermo). Administratively, the municipality is divided into 11

civil parishes In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority. ...

: * Castanheiro do Sul *

Ervedosa do Douro Ervedosa do Douro is a civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their ...

* Nagoselo do Douro * Paredes da Beira * Riodades * São João da Pesqueira e Várzea de Trevões * Soutelo do Douro *

Trevões Trevões is a village and (with the neighbouring village of Espinhosa, 4 km to the WNW) a civil parish (''freguesia'') in the municipality of São João da Pesqueira in the Viseu of Portugal. It is located approximately 8 km SSW of the ...

e Espinhosa * Vale de Figueira * Valongo dos Azeites * Vilarouco e Pereiros

Economy

Situated in the heart of the Douro wine region, São João da Pesqueira is well endowed with vineyards that support the production of vintage and

port wine Port wine (also known as vinho do Porto, , or simply port) is a Portuguese fortified wine produced in the Douro Valley of northern Portugal. It is typically a sweet red wine, often served with dessert, although it also comes in dry, semi- ...

s. Tourist attractions include a wine museum in Pesqueira and a network of waymarked

hiking trails A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. The ...

, including a section of the GR 14

Porto Porto or Oporto () is the second-largest city in Portugal, the capital of the Porto District, and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto city proper, which is the entire municipality of Porto, is small compared to its metropol ...

Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...

''Rota dos Vinhos da Europa'' (''European Wine Route'' trail).

References

External links

Towns in Portugal Populated places in Viseu District Municipalities of Viseu District {{Viseu-geo-stub