Vila Viçosa () is a town and a municipality in the District of Évora,

Alentejo Alentejo ( , , ) is a geographical, historical, and cultural region of south–central and southern Portugal. In Portuguese, its name means "beyond the Tagus" (). Alentejo includes the regions of Alto Alentejo Province, Alto Alentejo and Bai ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

. The population in 2011 was 8,319, in an area of 194.86 km². The municipal holiday is August 16.

Parishes

Administratively, the municipality is divided into four civil parishes ('' freguesias''): * Bencatel * Ciladas * Nossa Senhora da Conceição e São Bartolomeu * Pardais

History

The area of Vila Viçosa has been inhabited since Antiquity, and it was the site of a small settlement in

Roman 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 Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

times. The region was part of the Visigoth Kingdom and in the eighth century came under Moorish control after the Muslim conquest of Hispania. Moorish domination ended in 1217, when the region was reconquered by the

Order of Aviz The Military Order of Aviz (), known previously to 1910 as the Royal Military Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz (), and before 1789 as the Knights of Saint Benedict of Aviz () or ''Friars of Santa Maria of Évora'', is one of the four former ancien ...

, a military

order of knighthood An order of chivalry, order of knighthood, chivalric order, or equestrian order is a society, fellowship and college of knights, typically founded during or inspired by the original Catholic military orders of the Crusades ( 1099–1291) and pai ...

that reclaimed large parts of Southern Portugal to the Christians. The order promoted the settlement of Christians in the area during the 13th century. In 1270, King Afonso III granted a ''

foral 200px, Foral of Castro Verde - Portugal The ''Carta de Foral'', or simply ''Foral'', was a royal document in Portugal and its former empire, whose purpose was to establish a ''concelho'' (Council) and regulate its administration, borders and priv ...

'' (letter of feudal rights) to the incipient village of Vila Viçosa. In the early 14th century, King Dinis I built a castle in the village, to protect it from potential Castilian incursions. In 1461, Vila Viçosa came to the hands of the

House of Braganza The Most Serene House of Braganza (), also known as the Brigantine dynasty (''dinastia Brigantina''), is a dynasty of emperors, kings, princes, and dukes of Portuguese people, Portuguese origin which reigned in Europe and the Americas. The hous ...

, one of the most important houses of nobility of Portugal. This event was crucial in the history of the village, which became the main base of the Dukes of Braganza in the next centuries. The Dukes had considerable wealth and greatly promoted the economic, urban and artistic development of the village. In 1502 the building of the Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa was begun, sponsored by Jaime, fourth

Duke of Braganza The title Duke of Braganza () in the House of Braganza is one of the most important titles in the peerage of Portugal. Starting in 1640, when the House of Braganza acceded to the throne of Portugal, the male heir of the Portuguese Crown were ...

. Jaime was a skilled military leader who later led the Portuguese to victory against a Moorish army in the Battle of Azamor, in

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

. The Ducal Palace was greatly remodelled between the 16th and 17th centuries in a sober late

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

(

Mannerist Mannerism is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, when the Baroque style largely replaced it ...

) style, and was decorated through the centuries by several artists. The Dukes also sponsored artistic campaigns in several churches and monasteries in the village. When Duke John became King John IV, in 1640, the House of Braganza moved to the capital

Lisbon 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 ...

, and many of the riches of the Ducal Palace were transferred to the Ribeira Palace. Vila Viçosa became a vacation spot for the members of the Braganza family. This marks the beginning of a period of decay for Vila Viçosa.

Climate

Economy

In the 20th century the industries of marble extraction and tourism became the main income sources of the municipality. Agricultural goods are also still important for its economy. Marble extraction and processing are responsible for around 93% of jobs in the municipality. Since the early 2000s,the displacement of material production outside Europe and the decreasing demand for natural stone have weakened local marble industries, starting an inexorable process of urban shrinking and depopulation.

Population

Notable citizens

Martim Afonso de Sousa Martim Afonso de Sousa ( – 21 July 1564) was a Portuguese '' fidalgo'', explorer and colonial administrator. Life Martim Afonso de Sousa was born in Vila Viçosa, and had been raised in the Duke of Bragança household and was a personal fri ...

(c.1500 – 1564) a Portuguese ''fidalgo'', explorer and Royal Governor of Brazil * Henrique Henriques (1520–1600) a Portuguese Jesuit priest and missionary in

South India South India, also known as Southern India or Peninsular India, is the southern part of the Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of ...

. * Públia Hortênsia de Castro (1548–1595) a scholar and humanist in the court of Catherine of Austria, Queen of Portugal * Teodósio II, 7th Duke of Braganza (1568–1630) a Portuguese nobleman, father of

John IV of Portugal ''Dom (honorific), Dom'' John IV (; 19 March 1604 – 6 November 1656), also known by the Portuguese as John the Restorer (), was the List of Portuguese monarchs, King of Portugal from 1640 until his death in 1656. He Portuguese Restoration War, ...

* King

(1604–1656), first

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 Portugal, Portuguese Republic with the 5 October 1910 revolution. Thro ...

from the

. *

Teodósio, Prince of Brazil '' Dom'' Teodósio, Prince of Brazil, Duke of Braganza (''Teodósio de Bragança''; ; 8 February 1634 – 15 May 1653) was the eldest son of John IV of Portugal and heir apparent to the Portuguese throne from 1640 until his death. In 1645, h ...

(1634–1653) the heir-apparent son of

and 10th Duke of Braganza * Joana, Princess of Beira (1635–1653) a Portuguese princess, daughter of

Catherine of Braganza Catherine of Braganza (; 25 November 1638 – 31 December 1705) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England, List of Scottish royal consorts, Scotland and Ireland during her marriage to Charles II of England, King Charles II, which la ...

(1638–1705) wife of

Charles II of England Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651 and King of England, Scotland, and King of Ireland, Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685. Charles II was the eldest su ...

* Henrique Pousão (1859-1884) a Portuguese

naturalist Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

painter *

Florbela Espanca Florbela Espanca (; born , ) was a Portuguese poet. She is known for her passionate and feminist poetry. Fernando Pessoa later said she was his "twin soul". Early life Born Flor Bela d'Alma da Conceição on 8 December 1894 in Vila Viçosa, P ...

(1894–1930) a Portuguese poet of passionate and feminist poetry *

Bento de Jesus Caraça Bento de Jesus Caraça, GCSE, GOL (18 April 1901 – 25 June 1948) was an influential Portuguese mathematician, economist and statistician. Caraça was also a member of the Portuguese Communist Party, and participated in the formation of the Por ...

(1901–1948) a Portuguese mathematician, economist and statistician. *

Paulo Portas Paulo de Sacadura Cabral Portas (born 12 September 1962, ) is a Portuguese media and political figure, who has, since the 1990s, been one of Portugal's leading conservative politicians. He was the leader of one of Portugal's right-wing parties, ...

(born 1962) a leading conservative politician, brought up in Vila Viçosa * Diego da Conceição de Araújo (1549–1597), auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Goa

Gallery

Image:Castelo Vila Vicosa1.jpg, The medieval castle with the town below. Image:Vila Viçosa Paços do Concelho.jpg, 18th century Town Hall. File:Vila Viçosa September 2013-7a.jpg, Agostinhos Church, convent and pantheom of the dukes of Braganza File:Vila Viçosa September 2013-4.jpg, Chagas Convent and pantheom of the duchesses of Braganza File:Porte des noeuds porta de nos (392867569).jpg, The Door of the Knots File:Vila Vicosa, Portugal (27208064107).jpg, Old Ducal Palace courtyard

References

External links

*
Town Hall official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vila Vicosa Municipality Municipalities of Évora District