Fundão () is a city and a municipality in the

Castelo Branco District 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. Fundão proper is an old city with 8,369 inhabitants in 2001, situated at the point where the slope of the

Gardunha The Gardunha mountain range (''Serra da Gardunha''), so called by the Moors (''Gardunha'' or ''Guardunha'' meaning refuge), is located in central Portugal, in Centro Region, beyond the Serra da Estrela Serra da Estrela () is the highest mountain ...

range meets the Cova da Beira plains, 500 metres above sea level. The municipality population in 2021 was 26,509.Censos 2021
/ref> The area size is 700.20 km². The city of

Covilhã Covilhã () is a city and a municipality in the Centro region, Portugal. The city proper had 34,772 inhabitants in 2001. The municipality population in 2011 was 51,797, in an area of . It is located in the Beiras e Serra da Estrela subregion and ...

is about 20 kilometers to the north by road. The municipality of Fundão is subdivided into 23 civil parishes known as ''

freguesia ''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 Por ...

s'' in Portuguese.

History

During 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 ...

, from about 1000 B.C. until its destruction by the

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

, there was a

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 Foo ...

Lusitanian Castro or fortified village in nearby São Brás Mount. The remains of a

villa A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became ...

or agricultural

manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals ...

, workers houses and other associated buildings from the time of the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Roman Republic, Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings aro ...

have been found in the underground of the centre of the current city. This villa was rebuilt as a fortified medieval mansion during the

High Middle Ages The High Middle Ages, or High Medieval Period, was the periodization, period of European history that lasted from AD 1000 to 1300. The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and were followed by the Late Middle Ages, which ended ...

. The history of Fundão is intimately related to that of its originally

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

, then

New Christian New Christian ( es, Cristiano Nuevo; pt, Cristão-Novo; ca, Cristià Nou; lad, Christiano Muevo) was a socio-religious designation and legal distinction in the Spanish Empire and the Portuguese Empire. The term was used from the 15th century ...

Marrano Marranos were Spanish and Portuguese Jews living in the Iberian Peninsula who converted or were forced to convert to Christianity during the Middle Ages, but continued to practice Judaism in secrecy. The term specifically refers to the char ...

, population. Although the place was already mentioned in documents from 1307 referring 32 houses, the bulk of the population only settled after the 1492

Expulsion of the Jews from Spain The Expulsion of Jews from Spain was the expulsion from Spain following the Alhambra Decree in 1492, which was enacted in order to eliminate their influence on Spain's large ''converso'' population and to ensure its members did not revert to Judai ...

Ferdinand Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "protection", "peace" (PIE "to love, to make peace") or alternatively "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "co ...

and Isabella, mainly Spanish Jews (

sephardic Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), pt, Judeus sefa ...

). Close to the border, and already home to significant Jewish minorities the Cova da Beira region, the region received many refugees. They settled in the community of Fundão, which their numbers swelled to that of a city. The influx of Jewish artisans and merchants quickly transformed it into an important commercial and industrial center. With the establishment of the

Portuguese Inquisition The Portuguese Inquisition ( Portuguese: ''Inquisição Portuguesa''), officially known as the General Council of the Holy Office of the Inquisition in Portugal, was formally established in Portugal in 1536 at the request of its king, John III. ...

shortly thereafter, many Jews and New Christians were arrested, tortured, executed or had their possessions expropriated. The commercial dynamism of the city was affected. The place was proclaimed a city in 1580 by its notables, after support for their attempt was declared by Dom António, Prior do Crato, to preserve Portuguese independence against the ambitions of King

Philip II of Spain Philip II) in Spain, while in Portugal and his Italian kingdoms he ruled as Philip I ( pt, Filipe I). (21 May 152713 September 1598), also known as Philip the Prudent ( es, Felipe el Prudente), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from ...

(Philip I of Portugal). The Municipal Council and autonomy were granted in 1747. During the Enlightenment of the late 18th century, under the rule of

Marquis of Pombal Count of Oeiras () was a Portuguese title of nobility created by a royal decree, dated July 15, 1759, by King Joseph I of Portugal, and granted to Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, head of the Portuguese government. Later, through another roy ...

, the

Prime-Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is n ...

of Portugal, legal restraints on the

s were abolished and rights equiparated to those of the

Old Christian Old Christian ( es, cristiano viejo, pt, cristão-velho, ca, cristià vell) was a social and law-effective category used in the Iberian Peninsula from the late 15th and early 16th century onwards, to distinguish Portuguese and Spanish people att ...

s. Pombal tried to recreate the industrial preëminence of Fundão by founding the Royal Factories (today known as the

City Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

). These efforts allowed a measure of revival to the wool industries of the city, and cloth was again exported to northern

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

. The city decayed again after its sack during the defeated Napoleonic French invasions of Portugal, and the subsequent

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

between supporters of the Liberal

Constitutionalist Constitutionalism is "a compound of ideas, attitudes, and patterns of behavior elaborating the principle that the authority of government derives from and is limited by a body of fundamental law". Political organizations are constitutional ...

D. Pedro and his brother

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

Absolutist D. Miguel, who were competing for the throne. The film festival IMAGO – Young Film and Video Festival was organized in Fundão from 1999 to 2009.

Climate

Fundão 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 ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

: ''Csa'') with cool, rainy winters and hot, dry summers.

Parishes

Administratively, the municipality is divided into 23 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 ...

''): * Alcaide * Alcaria * Alcongosta * Alpedrinha * Barroca * Bogas de Cima * Capinha * Castelejo * Castelo Novo * Enxames * Fatela * Fundão, Valverde, Donas, Aldeia de Joanes e Aldeia Nova do Cabo * Janeiro de Cima e Bogas de Baixo * Lavacolhos * Orca * Pêro Viseu * Póvoa de Atalaia e Atalaia do Campo * Silvares * Soalheira * Souto da Casa * Telhado * Três Povos * Vale de Prazeres e Mata da Rainha

Economy

The town is an important local center of industry and services. Around it lies some of the most fertile land in the region, in a large valley ( Cova da Beira) between the

and

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 ...

ranges, where the

Zêzere River The Zêzere () is a river in Portugal, tributary to the Tagus. It rises in the Serra da Estrela, near the '' Torre'', the highest point of continental Portugal. The Zêzere runs through the town Manteigas, runs through Belmonte, passes south of ...

starts its way towards the

Tagus The Tagus ( ; es, Tajo ; pt, Tejo ; see below) is the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula. The river rises in the Montes Universales near Teruel, in mid-eastern Spain, flows , generally west with two main south-westward sections, to e ...

. The most significant productions are

cherries A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus '' Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit). Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet ''Prunus avium'' and the sour ''Prunus cerasus''. The ...

peach The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, n ...

es,

olive oil Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: ...

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented grapes. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different ...

wood pulp Pulp is a lignocellulosic fibrous material prepared by chemically or mechanically separating cellulose fibers from wood, fiber crops, waste paper, or rags. Mixed with water and other chemical or plant-based additives, pulp is the major raw ...

and

vegetables Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the flowers, fruits, stems ...

. Some of the most important

wolframite Wolframite is an iron, manganese, and tungstate mineral with a chemical formula of that is the intermediate between ferberite ( rich) and hübnerite ( rich). Along with scheelite, the wolframite series are the most important tungsten ore mineral ...

mines in the world (a mineral source for the element

tungsten Tungsten, or wolfram, is a chemical element with the symbol W and atomic number 74. Tungsten is a rare metal found naturally on Earth almost exclusively as compounds with other elements. It was identified as a new element in 1781 and first isol ...

) are explored within its municipal limits. Other important mines extract

lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cut, ...

and tin. The

Panasqueira Minas da Panasqueira or Mina da Panasqueira (Panasqueira Mine) is the generic name for a set of mining operations between Cabeço do Pião ( Fundão Municipality) and the village of Panasqueira (Covilhã Municipality), which operated in a techni ...

is the generic name for a set of mining operations between Cabeço do Pião in Fundão Municipality and the village of Panasqueira in the neighboring municipality of

, which operated in a technically integrated manner and continue practically since its discovery. High quality

mineral water Mineral water is water from a mineral spring that contains various minerals, such as salts and sulfur compounds. Mineral water may usually be still or sparkling (carbonated/effervescent) according to the presence or absence of added gases. T ...

is also bottled from several sources in the municipality of Fundão. The Cavleiro tree is a common trade item from this region. It is used in everyday products such as wooden dolls, shoes and bedposts.

Notable people

Jorge da Costa Dom Jorge da Costa (1406 – 18 September 1508) was a Portuguese cardinal. Biography Born in Alpedrinha, Fundão, he is often called the Cardinal of Alpedrinha. He was one of many children of Martim Vaz and wife Catarina Gonçalves. He m ...

(1406 in Alpedrinha – 1508) a cardinal, often called the ''Cardinal of Alpedrinha'' *

Antonio Fernandez Carvajal Antonio Fernandez Carvajal (c. 1590November 10, 1659)—in pt, António Fernandes Carvalhal—was a Portuguese-Jewish merchant, who became the first endenizened English Jew. Carvajal and Simon de Caceres, together with other prominent members ...

(ca.1590 – 1659) a Portuguese-Jewish merchant, the first endenizened English Jew. * José da Cunha Taborda (1766-1836) a Portuguese painter and architect. * João Franco (1855 in Alcaide – 1929) a politician, minister and 47th

Prime Minister of Portugal The prime minister of Portugal ( pt, primeiro-ministro; ) is the head of government of Portugal. As head of government, the prime minister coordinates the actions of ministers, represents the Government of Portugal to the other bodies of state, ...

, 1906-1908 *

Eugénio de Andrade Eugénio de Andrade was the pseudonym of GOSE, GCM José Fontinhas (19 January 1923 – 13 June 2005),His baptismal date reads 1 February 1923, however, every biographic book and the Eugénio de Andrade Foundation state 19 January 1923 Portu ...

(1923 in Póvoa de Atalaia – 2005) a Portuguese poet. * Celeste Rodrigues (1923–2018) a Portuguese '' fadista'', a

fado Fado (; "destiny, fate") is a music genre that can be traced to the 1820s in Lisbon, Portugal, but probably has much earlier origins. Fado historian and scholar Rui Vieira Nery states that "the only reliable information on the history of fado was ...

singer. * Pedro Carvalho (born 1985) a Portuguese actor, grew up in Fundão. Pedro Carvalho, IMDb Database
retrieved 27 July 2021.

References

External links

Municipality official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fundao, Portugal Cities in Portugal Populated places in Castelo Branco District Municipalities of Castelo Branco District People from Fundão, Portugal