Viseu () is a city and municipality in the

Centro Region The Central Region ( pt, Região do Centro, ) or Central Portugal is one of the statistical regions of Portugal. The cities with major administrative status inside this region are Coimbra, Aveiro, Viseu, Caldas da Rainha, Leiria, Castelo Branco, ...

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 The Comunidade Intermunicipal Viseu Dão Lafões () is an administrative division in Portugal. It replaced the previously existing ''Greater Metropolitan Area of Viseu''. Since January 2015, Viseu Dão Lafões is also a NUTS3 subregion of Centro ...

intermunipical community, with 267,633 inhabitants. Settled during the period of the early Iberian

Castro culture Castro culture ( gl, cultura castrexa, pt, cultura castreja, ast, cultura castriega, es, cultura castreña, meaning "culture of the hillforts") is the archaeological term for the material culture of the northwestern regions of the Iberian Pen ...

, the territory of Viseu was populated by a series of cultures including the Romans, Suebs, Visigoths and Moors. During the Roman occupation of Iberia,

Viriathus Viriathus (also spelled Viriatus; known as Viriato in Portuguese and Spanish; died 139 BC) was the most important leader of the Lusitanian people that resisted Roman expansion into the regions of western Hispania (as the Romans called it) or we ...

, rebel leader of the

Lusitanians The Lusitanians ( la, Lusitani) were an Indo-European languages, Indo-European speaking people living in the west of the Iberian Peninsula prior to its conquest by the Roman Republic and the subsequent incorporation of the territory into the Roma ...

, is assumed to have lived for a time in the vicinity. During the Middle Ages, the city often served as seat for

Visigothic The Visigoths (; la, Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, Wisi) were an early Germanic people who, along with the Ostrogoths, constituted the two major political entities of the Goths within the Roman Empire in late antiquity, or what is kno ...

nobles (such as King

Roderic Roderic (also spelled Ruderic, Roderik, Roderich, or Roderick; Spanish and pt, Rodrigo, ar, translit=Ludharīq, لذريق; died 711) was the Visigothic king in Hispania between 710 and 711. He is well-known as "the last king of the Goths". He ...

), and is considered one of the probable birthplaces of

Afonso Henriques Afonso I of PortugalOr also ''Affonso'' (Archaic Portuguese-Galician) or ''Alphonso'' (Portuguese-Galician) or ''Alphonsus'' (Latin version), sometimes rendered in English as ''Alphonzo'' or ''Alphonse'', depending on the Spanish or French inf ...

, first King of Portugal. Viseu is a regional economic hub with a strong wine industry and is the seat of international conglomerate Visabeira. The city is also a cultural center, home to the nationally acclaimed Grão Vasco Museum, seat of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Viseu The Portuguese Catholic diocese of Viseu ( la, Dioecesis Visensis) is a suffragan of the archdiocese of Braga. Its see at Viseu is in the Centro Region. The current bishop is António Luciano dos Santos Costa. History The see at Viseu dates f ...

, and center of national universities, including the

Catholic University of Portugal The Catholic University of Portugal (Portuguese: ''Universidade Católica Portuguesa'', pronounced nivɨɾsiˈðad(ɨ) kɐˈtɔlikɐ puɾtuˈɣezɐ, also referred to as Católica or UCP for short, is a concordat university (non-state-run univers ...

History

The origins of the city of Viseu date back to the pre-Roman period, with its name being reconstructed from the indigenous word 'Vissaieigobor' as *Vissaium, perhaps with a latinised suffix. With its

Romanisation Romanization or romanisation, in linguistics, is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, and ...

the settlement gained importance, being at the intersection of a series of Roman roads linking Mérida,

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...

, and Galicia. Viseu is associated with

, since it is thought that the Lusitanian hero may have been born in this region. After the Roman occupation of the peninsula, under the

Visigoths The Visigoths (; la, Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, Wisi) were an early Germanic people who, along with the Ostrogoths, constituted the two major political entities of the Goths within the Roman Empire in late antiquity, or what is ...

, the settlement was elevated to the status of city and to the seat of a diocese by at least the 6th century.

Middle Ages

The origins of Viseu extends to proto-history, when migrating groups settled the territory, including the Celts and Lusitanians. Roman colonists settled in this territories during eras of prosperity and peace, leading eventually to Suebic, Gothic and Muslim cultures. The Suebic peoples, by the middle of the 6th century, had already established a community, with a bishop that existed at the suffrage of

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Braga The Archdiocese of Braga ( la, Archidioecesis Bracarensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Portugal. It is known for its use of the Rite of Braga, a use of the liturgy distinct from the Roman R ...

. With the arrival of North African Muslims, the Visigoths escaped the territory to the distant mountains of Asturias. The lands of Viseu frequently switched hands between the Christians and

Moors The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a distinct or ...

, who referred to Viseu as Bazu, and was definitely taken in 1058, due to the victory of

Ferdinand I of León Ferdinand I ( 1015 – 24 December 1065), called the Great (''el Magno''), was the count of Castile from his uncle's death in 1029 and the king of León after defeating his brother-in-law in 1037. According to tradition, he was the first to have h ...

. But, his siege left such destruction that only in 1147–1148, during the

Reconquista The ' (Spanish, Portuguese and Galician for "reconquest") is a historiographical construction describing the 781-year period in the history of the Iberian Peninsula between the Umayyad conquest of Hispania in 711 and the fall of the Nasrid ...

, that the

Diocese of Viseu The Portuguese Catholic diocese of Viseu ( la, Dioecesis Visensis) is a suffragan of the archdiocese of Braga. Its see at Viseu is in the Centro Region. The current bishop is António Luciano dos Santos Costa. History The see at Viseu dates f ...

had the conditions to support a bishop. For many years it had been absorbed by the Bishopric of Coimbra, due to the intervention of the priors, including S. Teotónio. Viseu began recuperating its importance as an urban centre; ''"rapidly, trecuperated its lost transitory brilliance or worsened its activities and differentiation social"''. It was another three centuries of laborious peace that allowed Viseu to grow once more. It was following the death of King Ferdinand I, the

Castilians Castilians (Spanish: ''castellanos'') are those people who live in certain former areas of the historical Kingdom of Castile, but the region's exact limits are disputed. A broader definition is to consider as Castilians the population belonging ...

sought to enforce (by force-of-arms), its rights to the lands/territories of the County of Portugal. During Countship of Portugal, Viseu served as the seat of the Corte of

Henry, Count of Portugal Henry (Portuguese: ''Henrique'', French: ''Henri''; c. 10661112), Count of Portugal, was the first member of the Capetian House of Burgundy to rule Portugal and the father of the country's first king, Afonso Henriques. Biographical sketch Fam ...

and Countess Teresa, who granted a

foral 200px, Foral of Castro Verde - Portugal The word ''foral'' ({{IPA-pt, fuˈɾaɫ, eu, plural: ''forais'') is a noun derived from the Portuguese word ''foro'', ultimately from Latin ''forum'', equivalent to Spanish ''fuero'', Galician ''foro'', Ca ...

to the city in 1123. Viseu is one of the possible birthplaces of their son

in 1109. Following his successful defense of his hereditary rights, and supported by nobles and clergy, Afonso Henriques founded the kingdom of Portugal. Viseu was granted a new charter 1187, that was later reinforced by his grandson, King

Afonso II of Portugal Alphons (Latinized ''Alphonsus'', ''Adelphonsus'', or ''Adefonsus'') is a male given name recorded from the 8th century (Alfonso I of Asturias, r. 739–757) in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic kingdom in the Iberian peninsula. ...

, in 1217. During the 1383–85 Crisis, the city was besieged by the forces of

Juan I of Castile John I ( es, Juan I; 24 August 1358 – 9 October 1390) was King of Castile and León from 1379 until 1390. He was the son of Henry II and of his wife Juana Manuel of Castile. Biography His first marriage, to Eleanor of Aragon on 18 June 1375, ...

, leading to King

John I of Portugal John I ( pt, João �uˈɐ̃w̃ 11 April 1357 – 14 August 1433), also called John of Aviz, was King of Portugal from 1385 until his death in 1433. He is recognized chiefly for his role in Portugal's victory in a succession war with Casti ...

starting construction on a series of defensive fortifications which would continue being built until the reign of King

Afonso V of Portugal Afonso V () (15 January 1432 – 28 August 1481), known by the sobriquet the African (), was King of Portugal from 1438 until his death in 1481, with a brief interruption in 1477. His sobriquet refers to his military conquests in Northern Afri ...

. The city became part of a fiefdom, when

Prince Henry the Navigator ''Dom'' Henrique of Portugal, Duke of Viseu (4 March 1394 – 13 November 1460), better known as Prince Henry the Navigator ( pt, Infante Dom Henrique, o Navegador), was a central figure in the early days of the Portuguese Empire and in the 15t ...

, son of King

, was made

Duke of Viseu Duke of Viseu (in Portuguese ''Duque de Viseu'') was a Portuguese Royal Dukedom created in 1415 by King John I of Portugal for his third male child, Henry the Navigator, following the conquest of Ceuta. When Henry the Navigator died withou ...

, in 1415. In 1475, Vasco Fernandes, famed artist of the

Portuguese Renaissance The Portuguese Renaissance refers to the cultural and artistic movement in Portugal during the 15th and 16th centuries. Though the movement coincided with the Spanish and Italian Renaissances, the Portuguese Renaissance was largely separate from o ...

, was born in the city, In 1513, King

Manuel I of Portugal Manuel I (; 31 May 146913 December 1521), known as the Fortunate ( pt, O Venturoso), was King of Portugal from 1495 to 1521. A member of the House of Aviz, Manuel was Duke of Beja and Viseu prior to succeeding his cousin, John II of Portugal, a ...

renewed the charter of Viseu and a series of works were taken on throughout the city, with the opening of the first square of the city, the ''Rossio''. In the 19th century, a new Municipal Palace was built in the Rossio, significantly altering the flow of the city, moving it away from the medieval center to newer parts of the city.

Geography

Viseu is approximately East of the Atlantic Ocean. Surrounded by a number of mountains – Leomil, Montemuro, Lapa, Arada,

Estrela Estrela, Portuguese for "star", may refer to: Animals *Estrela Mountain Dog, a breed of working dog native to the range * Phyllonorycter estrela, a moth of the family Gracillariidae Geography Portugal * Serra da Estrela Subregion, a NUTS3 statist ...

and

Caramulo Caramulo is a town in Portugal. It is part of the civil parish of Guardão in the municipality of Tondela, Portugal. In Caramulo is housed one of the most important motor vehicle museums in Portugal. Among the exhibits are some very rare cars inc ...

– the tops of which are covered with thick layers of snow in Winter time, the district is crossed by a network of rivers and streamlets. The city of Viseu has an almost central position in relation to the District lying on the so-called Viseu Plateau (in Portuguese ''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 Serra da Estrela () is the highest mountain range in Continental Portugal. Together with the Serra da Lousã it is the westernmost constituent range of the Sistema Central and also one of the highest in the system. It includes mainland Portugal's ...

'' and the Lousã hills and to the west by the Caramulo hills. The Municipality is characterized by an irregular surface with altitudes ranging between . With a rough terrain, it has numerous water courses. These are found in three basins: the Vouga, the Dão and the Paiva.

Climate

Situated in a zone of transition, the ''

concelho Concelho () is the Portuguese-language term for municipality, referring to the territorial subdivision in local government. In comparison, the word ''município'' () refers to the organs of State. This differentiation is still in use in Portugal a ...

'' has several micro-climates. The

Serra do Caramulo Serra do Caramulo is a mountain range in Central Portugal. The mountain is part of the intermunicipal community of Viseu Dão Lafões and is populated by villages with granite houses and espigueiros typical of this region. Some traces of Neolith ...

, 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

Mondego River The Rio Mondego () or Mondego River is the longest river entirely within Portuguese territory. It has its source in Serra da Estrela, the highest mountain range in mainland Portugal (i.e. excluding the Portuguese islands). It runs from the Go ...

's basin makes the penetration easier). Consequently, Viseu's climate is characterized by the existence of high temperature extremes, with cold and wet winters and hot and dry summers. Viseu has a

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

(''Csb'', bordering ''Csa''), with the 1981–2010 averages indicating it being just below the isotherm. Its inland position and relative altitude contributes to cooler winters than in coastal areas of the country, as well as a relatively large

diurnal temperature variation In meteorology, diurnal temperature variation is the variation between a high air temperature and a low temperature that occurs during the same day. Temperature lag Temperature lag is an important factor in diurnal temperature variation: peak d ...

as well as lower averages than more low-lying inland cities in the central-north area of the country such as Castelo Branco. In spite of its inland position, the maritime influence is strong enough for there to be a

seasonal lag Seasonal lag is the phenomenon whereby the date of maximum average air temperature at a geographical location on a planet is delayed until some time after the date of maximum insolation (i.e. the summer solstice). This also applies to the minimum ...

resulting in September averaging similar temperatures as June for the 1981–2010 reference period. This also applies to October and May. However, temperatures drop sharply in November, resulting in a smaller lag for the winter season. July and August are the driest and hottest months, with daytime highs averaging for both months. Winters are much wetter with an average December precipitation of .

Human geography

Administratively, the municipality is divided into 25

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. ...

: *

Abraveses Abraveses is a Freguesia in the municipality (''concelho'') of Viseu, in the Portuguese central subregion of Dão-Lafões Viseu Dão-Lafões is a Portuguese subregion located in the north of the Central Region. In 2021, the subregion recorded ...

* Barreiros e Cepões * Boa Aldeia, Farminhão e Torredeita * Bodiosa * Calde * Campo * Cavernães * Cota * Couto de Baixo e Couto de Cima * Faíl e Vila Chã de Sá * Fragosela * Lordosa * Mundão * Orgens * Povolide * Ranhados * Repeses e São Salvador * Ribafeita * Rio de Loba * Santos Evos * São Cipriano e Vil de Souto * São João de Lourosa * São Pedro de France * Silgueiros * Viseu Due to migration in the 1960s, Viseu suffered a great decline in its population. After the end of the

Portuguese Colonial War The Portuguese Colonial War ( pt, Guerra Colonial Portuguesa), also known in Portugal as the Overseas War () or in the former colonies as the War of Liberation (), and also known as the Angolan, Guinea-Bissau and Mozambican War of Independence, ...

(1961–1974), with the return of refugees from 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 ...

African colonies that achieved independence, and resulting economic and demographic growth, starting at the end of the 1970s, the municipality increased its population by about 10 percent, giving it an estimated population of 83,261 people. Afterwards, a stagnation set in, confirmed by the 1991 census which showed a population of 83,601.

International relations

Viseu is twinned with: *

Abidjan Abidjan ( , ; N'Ko script, N’ko: ߊߓߌߖߊ߲߬) is the economic capital of the Ivory Coast. As of the Demographics of Ivory Coast, 2021 census, Abidjan's population was 6.3 million, which is 21.5 percent of overall population of the country, ...

, Ivory Coast *

Arezzo Arezzo ( , , ) , also ; ett, 𐌀𐌓𐌉𐌕𐌉𐌌, Aritim. is a city and ''comune'' in Italy and the capital of the province of the same name located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about southeast of Florence at an elevation of above sea level. ...

, Italy *

Campinas Campinas (, ''Plains'' or ''Meadows'') is a Brazilian municipality in São Paulo State, part of the country's Southeast Region. According to the 2020 estimate, the city's population is 1,213,792, making it the fourteenth most populous Brazilian ...

, Brazil * Cantagalo, São Tomé and Príncipe *

Haskovo Haskovo ( bg, Хасково ) is a city in the region of Northern Thrace in southern Bulgaria and the administrative centre of the Haskovo Province, not far from the borders with Greece and Turkey. According to Operative Program Regional Develo ...

, Bulgaria *

Lublin Lublin is the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the center of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin is the largest Polish city east of t ...

, Poland *

Marly-le-Roi Marly-le-Roi () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the administrative region of Île-de-France, France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, from the centre of Paris. Marly-le-Roi was the location of the Château de Marly, t ...

, France *

Matola Matola is the largest suburb of the Mozambique capital, Maputo, adjacent to its westernmost side. It is the nation's second most populated city. Matola is the capital of Maputo Province and has had its own elected municipal government since 199 ...

, Mozambique *

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...

, Brazil * São Filipe, Cape Verde

Economy

The city and the region are famous for its wine (

Dão Wine Dao, Dão or DAO may refer to: * Tao (Chinese: "The Way" 道), a philosophical concept * Dao (Chinese sword) (刀), a type of Chinese sword * Dao (Naga sword), a weapon and a tool of Naga people People and language * Yao people, a minority ethni ...

) and the Dão Wine institute, the ''Solar do Vinho do Dão'' can be found in the city. There is also an annual fair, the ''Feira de São Mateus''. Furthermore, Viseu is also known for local handicrafts which include black pottery, bobbin lace, embroidery, and copper and wrought iron articles. With the good connections to major industrial centers and to the ports of Aveiro and

Leixões The Port of Leixões ( pt, Porto de Leixões, ) is one of Portugal's major seaports, located 4 km north of the mouth of the Douro River, in Matosinhos municipality, near the city of Porto Porto or Oporto () is the second-largest city i ...

, several industries have been installed in Viseu. Visabeira, a Portugal-based international conglomerate with interests in telecommunications, construction, industry, tourism, real estate and diversified services is headquartered in the city. Viseu also hosts a central hospital (Hospital of São Teotónio), two shopping & cinema complexes (the ''Fórum'' (2005) and the ''Palácio do Gelo'' (2008)), and numerous hostels and hotels in all categories.

Transportation

The city of Viseu has a bus network – MUV – which operates several lines within the entire municipality and a recently installed funicular connecting the lower city with the upper city. The A25 motorway (formerly called IP5) connects Viseu to the seaport of Aveiro and Guarda and then on to

Salamanca Salamanca () is a city in western Spain and is the capital of the Province of Salamanca in the autonomous community of Castile and León. The city lies on several rolling hills by the Tormes River. Its Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritag ...

in Spain. The IP3 and A24, connecting

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 ...

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. Viseu is now one of the largest cities in Europe without a railway connection. Once it was connected to Aveiro (via the

Vouga line Linha do Vouga ''(the Vouga line)'' is the last surviving metre gauge railway line in Portugal still operated by Comboios de Portugal. The other remaining metre gauge lines (the Corgo, Tâmega and Tua lines) all closed in 2009. The line is, h ...

, a narrow gauge railway), and

Santa Comba Dão Santa Comba Dão () is a city and a municipality in the Viseu District in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 11,597, in an area of 111.95 km2. The city proper has a population of 3,300. The present mayor is Leonel Gouveia, elected in 2013 ...

(on the

Dão line Dao, Dão or DAO may refer to: * Tao (Chinese: "The Way" 道), a philosophical concept * Dao (Chinese sword) (刀), a type of Chinese sword * Dao (Naga sword), a weapon and a tool of Naga people People and language * Yao people, a minority ethnic ...

, another narrow gauge railway), where it had connection to the Linha da Beira Alta (broad gauge; international). The Dão line closed to passengers in 1988. The municipality has an airfield – the

Viseu Airport Viseu Airport , also known as Gonçalves Lobato Airport is an airport in Viseu, Portugal. Airlines and destinations The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at Viseu Airport: See also *Transport in Portugal *List o ...

(code VSE) also known as Lobato, parish of Lordosa, Viseu – that offers schedules commercial flights to some domestic destinations with Aero VIP.

Education

Viseu is the location of the state-run '' Instituto Politécnico de Viseu'' which has

higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after completi ...

polytechnic Polytechnic is most commonly used to refer to schools, colleges, or universities that qualify as an institute of technology or vocational university also sometimes called universities of applied sciences. Polytechnic may also refer to: Educatio ...

schools of education, technology and management, and agronomy. The city's political and civic groups have been pressuring the national government to upgrade this school into a

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

, but its desire was never achieved. However, there are 2

private university Private universities and private colleges are institutions of higher education, not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. They may (and often do) receive from governments tax breaks, public student loans, and grant (money ...

institutions, the ''

Universidade Católica Portuguesa The Catholic University of Portugal (Portuguese: ''Universidade Católica Portuguesa'', pronounced nivɨɾsiˈðad(ɨ) kɐˈtɔlikɐ puɾtuˈɣezɐ, also referred to as Católica or UCP for short, is a concordat university (non-state-run univers ...

'' and the ''

Instituto Piaget Instituto Piaget is a Portuguese private institution of higher education. It provides both university and polytechnic higher education in a number of fields. Instituto Piaget was named after the Swiss philosopher and developmental psychologist Je ...

''. Furthermore, since the Bologna process, the difference between universities and polytechnics are less relevant, with the exception of some degrees like medicine, economics or law, that are only awarded in universities. There are three secondary education (the Portuguese equivalent of High School) establishments: the ''Escola Secundária de Viriato'', ''Escola Secundária Alves Martins'' and ''Escola Secundária Emídio Navarro''.

Gallery

File:Viseu - Sé 1.jpg, Cathedral of Viseu File:SJTarouca.jpg, São João da Tarouca convent File:Viseu - Teatro Viriato (2).jpg, Viriato Theatre, Portugal File:Viseu - Camara.jpg, Town hall of Viseu File:ViseuCathedral.jpg, Towers and façade of the Cathedral File:SeViseuInterior.jpg, Interior of Viseu Cathedral File:Viseu, Largo do Pintor Gata (5986880129).jpg, Viseu, Portugal File:Nt-Viseu-Porta dos Cavaleiros.jpg, Remains of the city wall. File:Inside Igreja da Misericórdia de Viseu.jpg, Altar of Igreja da Misericórdia. File:Viseu-Vista.jpg, View of Viseu File:Forum de Viseu.jpg, Viseu's Forum File:Viseu - Palácio do Gelo - Etages intérieurs.JPG, Palácio do Gelo, Viseu File:Viseu - Banco de Portugal (2).jpg, Bank of Portugal File:Visecentro.JPG, Town centre of Viseu

Notable citizens

Batalha-Mosteiro de Santa Maria da Vitoria-346-Eduard von Aragon-2011-gje

Edward, King of Portugal Edward ( pt, Duarte (; 31 October 1391 – 9 September 1438), also called Edward the King Philosopher (''Duarte o Rei-Filósofo'') or the Eloquent (''o Eloquente''), was the King of Portugal from 1433 until his death. He was born in Viseu, the son ...

(1391–1438), known as ''Duarte'',

King of Portugal This is a list of Portuguese monarchs who ruled from the establishment of the Kingdom of Portugal, in 1139, to the deposition of the Portuguese monarchy and creation of the Portuguese Republic with the 5 October 1910 revolution. Through the n ...

, 1433 to 1438 * Vasco Fernandes (ca.1475 – ca.1542), better known as ''

Grão Vasco Vasco Fernandes (c. 1475 – c. 1542), better known as ''Grão Vasco'' ("The Great Vasco"), was one of the main Portuguese Renaissance painters. Life According to local tradition, the painter Vasco Fernandes, known as ''Grão Vasco'' (the Great ...

'', one of the principal Portuguese

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

painters *

João de Barros João de Barros () (1496 – 20 October 1570), called the ''Portuguese Livy'', is one of the first great Portuguese historians, most famous for his ''Décadas da Ásia'' ("Decades of Asia"), a history of the Portuguese in India, Asia, and southea ...

(ca.1496 – 1570)

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the stu ...

, famous for his ''

Décadas da Ásia ''Décadas da Ásia'' ("Decades of Asia") is a history of the Portuguese in India, Asia, and southeast Africa collected and published by João de Barros between 1552 and 1563, while living abroad. His work was continued by Diogo do Couto and ...

'', a history of the Portuguese in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

, and southeast

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

. * Antonio Thomas (ca.1520 – 1590s) a marine and

conquistador Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (, ; meaning 'conquerors') were the explorer-soldiers of the Spanish and Portuguese Empires of the 15th and 16th centuries. During the Age of Discovery, conquistadors sailed beyond Europe to the Americas, O ...

in service of the Spanish crown. *

Manuel de Almeida Manuel de Almeida (sometimes Manoel de Almeida, 1580–1646) was a native of Viseu who entered at an early age into the Society of Jesus and went out as a missionary to India. He is noted to have travelled to Ethiopia and Eritrea and Lake Tana ...

(1580–1646) member of the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

, missionary to India * Beatriz Pinheiro (1872–1922) a writer and a pacifist concerned to improve the rights of women. * Judite Teixeira (1880-1959) a writer of three books of poetry and a book of short stories *

Carlos de Liz-Texeira Branquinho Alberto Carlos de Liz-Teixeira Branquinho (27 January 1902 in Viseu, Portugal– † 1973) was a Portuguese diplomat credited with saving the lives of 1,000 Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary during the Holocaust from Hungarian Fascists and the Nazis ...

(1902–1973) a Portuguese diplomat, saved the lives of 1,000 Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary * Manuel Maria Carrilho (born 1951) a philosopher, academic and politician; Minister of Culture, 1995 to 2000 * Álvaro Santos Pereira (born 1972) an economist, professor, writer and Govt. minister 2011/2013.

Sport

Carlos Lopes Carlos Alberto de Sousa Lopes, GCIH (, born 18 February 1947) is a Portuguese former long-distance runner. He won the marathon at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, becoming Portugal's first Olympic gold medalist and setting an Olympic ...

(born 1947 in Vildemoinhos) a former

long-distance runner Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely Aerobic exercise, aerobic in nature and requires endurance, stamina as well as mental strength. Within e ...

, won the

1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the secon ...

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

; the first Portuguese Olympic gold medalist *

Paulo Sousa Paulo Manuel Carvalho de Sousa, CavIH (; born 30 August 1970) is a Portuguese football manager and former professional player who played as a defensive midfielder. Starting his career at Benfica, he also represented Sporting CP in his countr ...

(born 1970) is a former footballer, with 256 club caps and 51 for

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

, later coach for

ACF Fiorentina ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as Fiorentina (), is an Italian professional football club based in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. The original team was founded by a merger in August 1926, while the actual club was refounded in August 2002 fo ...

and the

Poland national football team The Poland national football team ( pl, Reprezentacja Polski w piłce nożnej) has represented Poland in men's international tournaments football competitions since their first match in 1921. The team is controlled by the Polish Football Associ ...

. * Paulo Gomes (born 1975) a retired footballer with 296 club caps * Bruno Madeira (born 1984) a footballer with over 360 club caps * Fernando Ferreira (born 1986) a footballer with over 330 club caps * Tiago Gonçalves (born 1986) a footballer with 247 caps with Académico de Viseu * Fábio Santos (born 1988) footballer with over 300 club caps, plays for Académico de Viseu * Neide Simões (born 1988) a women's football goalkeeper, played 60 times for the

Portugal women's national football team The Portugal women's national football team represents Portugal in international women's football competition. The team is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) and competes as a member of UEFA in various international football ...

Bruno Loureiro Bruno Filipe Santos Loureiro (born 23 September 1989) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for G.D. Mangualde as a midfielder. Club career Born in Viseu, Loureiro started his senior career with local amateurs S.C. Penalva do Caste ...

(born 1989) a footballer with over 270 club caps, plays for Académico de Viseu *

André Coelho André Henriques Nunes Coelho (born 30 October 1993) is a Portuguese futsal player who plays as a universal for Barcelona for the Portugal national team. Honours Club Benfica * Campeonato Nacional: 2018–19 * Taça da Liga: 2017–18, 2018– ...

(born 1993) a futsal player with 41 caps with the

Portugal national futsal team The Portugal national futsal team represents Portugal in international men's futsal competitions and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation. They are the reigning FIFA Futsal World Cup champions, the current and back-to-back winners ...

* Rui Miguel (born 1983) a footballer with over 330 club caps *

João Félix João Félix Sequeira (; born 10 November 1999) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Premier League club Chelsea, on loan from Atlético Madrid of La Liga, and the Portugal national team. He can also play as a ...

(born 1999) a football player with

Atlético Madrid Club Atlético de Madrid, Sociedad Anónima Deportiva, S.A.D. (; meaning "Athletic Club of Madrid"), known simply as Atleti in the Spanish-speaking world and commonly referred to at international level as Atlético Madrid, is a Spanish profess ...

, with 51 caps for

* António Silva, footballer born 2003

References

External links

{{Authority control Cities in Portugal Populated places in Viseu District Municipalities of Viseu District