São João da Pesqueira () 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' ...

and municipal seat in the Portuguese district of

Viseu Viseu () is a city and municipality in the Centro Region of Portugal and the capital of the Viseu District, district of the same name, with a population of 100,105 inhabitants in the entire municipality, and center of the Viseu Dão Lafões Interm ...

. 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 ), officially the City of Coimbra (), is a city and a concelho, municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2021 census was 140,796, in an area of . The fourth-largest agglomerated urban area in Po ...

, Guimarães or Lamego.

Geography

The municipality is situated at above sea level and is bordered on the north by the River Douro and the municipality of Alijó, on the northeast by Carrazeda de Ansiães, on the east by Vila Nova de Foz Côa ( district of Guarda), on the south-east by Penedono, on the south by Sernancelhe, on the west by Tabuaço and on the north-west by Sabrosa. The municipality includes an attractive countryside with viewpoints over the Douro valley and the Valeira dam 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 Parish (administrative division), administrative parish used for Local government in England, local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishe ...

: * Castanheiro do Sul * Ervedosa do Douro * Nagoselo do Douro * Paredes da Beira * Riodades * São João da Pesqueira e Várzea de Trevões * Soutelo do Douro * Trevões 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 (, ; ), or simply port, is a Portuguese wine, Portuguese fortified wine produced in the Douro, Douro Valley of Norte, Portugal, northern Portugal. It is typically a sweetness of wine, sweet red wine, often served with dessert wine, ...

s. Tourist attractions include a wine museum in Pesqueira and a network of waymarked hiking trails, including a section of the GR 14

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 ...

Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...

''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