Pinhel () is a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
, former Catholic bishopric and present Latin
titular see
A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbi ...
in the
central subregion of
Beira Interior Norte, in Portugal. The municipality population in 2011 was 9,627,
[Instituto Nacional de Estatística]
/ref> in an area of 484.52 km2.
History
The origins of this municipality date back to the Calcolithic period, as many of the remnants of ancient cultures from this period remain: namely the rock-art engravings and paintings that line the Côa valley in Cidadelhe. Part of the historic district of Guarda, the region obtained its name for many pine forests that covered the region's hills and mountains.
There are also several references to a pre-Roman or Roman presence, suggesting a continual occupancy since this period.
During the medieval period, owing to the defensive requirements of the fledgling nation, several fortified centres developed, including the Pinhel, but also along a line that included: Trancoso, Marialva, Guarda, Castelo Rodrigo, Almeida and Castelo Mendo. The Castle of Pinhel dates from the reign of King Denis and the keep tower from his descendant, King Manuel I. Pinhel's strategic position, along the frontier with Spain, made the monarchs of Portugal retain many of these fortifications, as well as allowing the development of their territorial claims.
The historical centre, with its narrow roadways, were adapted from the morphology of the terrain, with many patrimonial references to the medieval and modern eras. The homes of the city of Pinhel, some dating from the 16th century, includes some lost references to the presence of a Jewish population at one time, such as along the ''Rua de Santa Maria''. Pinhel was, for a long time, the seat of its own diocese, before being incorporated into the Diocese of Guarda.
The 17th and 18th century were periods of growth for the region, dominated the construction of estates, scattered in many of the historic corners of the municipality, some monumental and decorative.
The urbanized area of Pinhel, the city of Pinhel, was elevated to this status in 1770.
Ecclesiastical history
In 1770.08.25 a bishopric was established as Diocese of Pinhel / Pinhelen(sis) (Latin adjective), on territory split off from the Diocese of Lamego
The Diocese of Lamego () is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in Portugal.
History
Lamego became Catholic when the Visigoths, Visigothic king Reccared I converted to Catholicism. According to local tradition, the city of Lamego rece ...
, apparently as suffragan
A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations.
In the Catholic Church, a suffragan bishop leads a diocese within an ecclesiastical province other than the principal diocese, the metropolitan archdiocese; the diocese led ...
of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Braga.
The Church of the Saviour (Portuguese: Igreja do Salvador) served as cathedral
A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...
, until its demolition and substitution as such in 1797 by the convent church of St. Louis (Portuguese: Igreja de São Luís) as ordered by bishop Don Bernardo Bernardino Beltrão Freire.
It was suppressed on 1881.09.30, its territory being merged into the Diocese of Guarda.
Residential Bishops of Pinhel
* João Rafael de Mendonça (1771.06.17 – 1771.07.29), next Bishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of Porto (Portugal) (1771.07.29 – death 1793.06.06)
* Cristóvão de Almeida Soares (1773.03.08 – death 1782.02.11)
* José António Pinto de Mendonça Arrais (1782.12.16 – 1797.12.18), next Bishop of Guarda (Portugal) (1797.12.18 – death 1822.04.19)
* Bernardo Bernardino Beltrão Freire (1797.12.18 – death 1828.07.19)
* Leonardo de Sousa Brandão (1832.12.17 – death 1838)
*Apostolic Administrator
An apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic admi ...
Father António Mendes Bello (1874 – 1881), Titular Archbishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.
By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...
of Mytilene
Mytilene (; ) is the capital city, capital of the Greece, Greek island of Lesbos, and its port. It is also the capital and administrative center of the North Aegean Region, and hosts the headquarters of the University of the Aegean. It was fo ...
(1884.03.24 – 1884.11.13) as Auxiliary Bishop
An auxiliary bishop is a bishop assigned to assist the diocesan bishop in meeting the pastoral and administrative needs of the diocese. Auxiliary bishops can also be titular bishops of sees that no longer exist as territorial jurisdictions.
...
of Patriarchate of Lisboa (Lisbon, Portugal) (1884.03.24 – 1884.11.13), next Archbishop-Bishop of Diocese of Faro (Algarve, Portugal) (1884.11.13 – 1907.12.19), Latin Patriarch of Lisboa
Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...
(Lisbon, Portugal) (1907.12.19 – 1929.08.05), created Cardinal-Priest
A cardinal is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. As titular members of the clergy of the Diocese of Rome, they serve as advisors to the pope, who is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. ...
of Ss. Marcellino e Pietro (1914.09.08 – 1929.08.05).
Titular see
In 1969 the diocese was nominally restored as Latin Titular bishopric
A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbish ...
of Pinhel (Português) / Pinhelen(sis) (Latin).
It has had the following incumbents, so far of the fitting Episcopal (lowest) order :
* Thomas Kiely Gorman (1969.08.22 – resigned 1971.01.21) on emeritate, formerly Bishop of Reno (USA) (1931.04.24 – 1952.02.08), Titular Bishop of Rhasus (1952.02.08 – 1954.08.29) as Coadjutor Bishop
A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) ("co-assister" in Latin) is a bishop in the Latin Catholic, Anglican and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in administering the diocese.
The coa ...
of Dallas–Fort Worth (Texas, USA) (1952.02.08 – 1954.08.29), succeeding as last Bishop of Dallas–Fort Worth (1954.08.29 – 1969.08.09), restyled 'first' Bishop of Dallas
Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
(USA) (1969.08.09 – 1969.08.22); died 1980
* Mervyn Alban Alexander (1972.03.08 – 1974.12.20) as Auxiliary Bishop
An auxiliary bishop is a bishop assigned to assist the diocesan bishop in meeting the pastoral and administrative needs of the diocese. Auxiliary bishops can also be titular bishops of sees that no longer exist as territorial jurisdictions.
...
of Diocese of Clifton (England, UK) (1972.03.08 – 1974.12.20), succeeding as Bishop of Clifton (1974.12.20 – retired 2001.02.27); died 2010
* Hugo Mark Gerbermann, Maryknoll Fathers (M.M.) (1975.07.22 – death 1996.10.19) as Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of San Antonio (USA) (1975.07.22 – 1982.06.30) and on emeritate; previously Titular Bishop of Amathus in Palæstina (1962.06.06 – 1967.12.23) as only Bishop-Prelate of Territorial Prelature of Huehuetenango (Guatemala
Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...
) (1961.08.08 – 1967.12.23) promoted first Bishop of Huehuetenango (1967.12.23 – 1975.07.22)
* Manuel José Macário do Nascimento Clemente (1999.11.06 – 2007.02.22) as Auxiliary Bishop of Lisboa Patriarchate (Portugal) (1999.11.06 – 2007.02.22), next Bishop of Porto
Porto (), also known in English language, English as Oporto, is the List of cities in Portugal, second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. It is the capital of the Porto District and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto c ...
(Portugal) (2007.02.22 – 2013.05.18), Vice-President of Episcopal Conference of Portugal (2011 – 2013.06.19), Latin Patriarch of Lisbon Patriarchate (Portugal) (2013.05.18 – ...), President of Episcopal Conference of Portugal (2013.06.19 – ...), created Cardinal-Priest
A cardinal is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. As titular members of the clergy of the Diocese of Rome, they serve as advisors to the pope, who is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. ...
of S. Antonio in Campo Marzio (2015.02.14 015.06.14– ...)
* Guillermo Martín Abanto Guzmán (2009.01.30 – 2012.10.30) as Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Lima (Peru) (2009.01.30 – 2012.10.30), next Military Ordinary of Peru
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
(Peru) (2012.10.30 – retired 2013.07.27)
* Jorge Estrada Solórzano (2013.05.28 – ...), Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of (Ciudad) México (Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
), no previous prelature.
Geography
The municipality of Pinhel is geographically delimited, in its entirety para two waterways: the ''Ribeira do Massueime'' (in the west) and east by the Côa River. It is located in the central part of the district of Guarda and confined by the municipalities of Almeida, Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, Vila Nova de Foz Côa, Meda, Trancoso and Guarda. The area includes a superficial area of , divided into 18 civil parishes, as well as one urban parish, the city/seat of Pinhel.
The municipality is accessed by a rail-line, the Vila Franca das Naves line for , by the A25 roadway (connecting Pinhel and Pínzio, and internationally by its connection to Vilar Formoso, .
The northern part of the municipality is part of the Prehistoric Rock-Art Site of the Côa Valley, an archaeological and geological park known for its inscribed rock formations, created by primitive cultures along the Côa valley. This area, along with Foz Coa has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site for these primitive engravings.
Pinhel is surrounded by Guarda, Trancoso, Almeida, Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, Mêda and Vila Nova de Foz Côa, all those municipalities of the district of Guarda.
Climate
Parishes
Administratively, the municipality is divided into 18 civil parishes ('' freguesias''):
Architecture
See above for church buildings.
In addition, the following buildings and structures have been classified as national patrimony:
* Castle of Pinhel ().
Notable people
* José Dias Coelho (1923 in Pinhel – 1961) a Portuguese painter and sculptor, an anti-fascist and member of the PCP
See also
* List of Catholic dioceses in Portugal
* Pinhel wine
* Pinhel IPR
References
Sources and external links
GCatholic, with Google satellite photo - episcopal see of Pinhel
Photos from Pinhel
{{Authority control
Municipalities of Guarda District
Cities in Portugal