Miranda do Douro Municipality
Encyclopedia
Miranda do Douro is a municipality covering an area of 487.17 km², with a population of approximately 7,707 inhabitants in the northeast corner of Portugal
. Referred to as the "Cidade Museu" of the Trás-os-Montes region, it is located 86 kilometres from the district capital, preserving many of its medieval and Renaissance-era traditions and architecture. Its seventeen civil parishes offer different facets of these traditions, that include a unique variant on the Portuguese language (Mirandês), in addition to cultural and historical discontinuity with the rest of the Portuguese state.
ic tribes, and occupied some of the lands, calling the area Mir-Hândul.
By the late 11th century, Castile coveted the region as a stepping-stone to Portugal. The settlement of the village of Miranda developed through the initiative of King Denis
, in an area that lied between the lateral slopes of the Douro
and Fresno River
s. It was in Miranda that the Treaty of Alcanices was signed between Denis and Ferdinand IV of Castile
, setting the border between the two kingdoms. Miranda was founded on 18 December 1286, and immediately elevated to the status of vila (town), with one of its prerequistes declaring that the administrative division would be a Crown fief. From this period forward, Miranda became progressively one of the most important towns that skirted the Trás-os-Montes region.
The Castilians finally occupied Miranda do Douro during the late 14th century, and would remain there until they were expelled by John I of Portugal
.
On 10 July 1545, King John III
elevated Miranda do Douro to the status of city, at the same time becoming the first diocese
in Trás-os-Montes (in a papal bull
on 22 May 1545 by Pope Paul III, which segmented a major part of the archdiocese of Braga. Miranda, therefore, became the capital of the Trás-os-Montes, seat of the bishopric (that included the residence of the bishop, canons and ecclesiastical authorities), military governorship and civil centre.
In 1762, during the Seven Years War, the army of Edward III invaded the Trás-os-Montes. During the course of his invasion, the gunpowder magazine (with over 500 barrels of powder) was hit by a cannon, destroying the four towers of the castle and many of the barrios in the vicinity. Approximately a third of the city's population (about 400 residents) were killed, resulting in the ruin of the religious, demographic and urbanized portion of Miranda. It was almost two years later (1764) that friar
Aleixo Miranda Henriques (then the twenty-third bishop]] would abandon Miranda, moving to Bragança, which had become a rival episcopal seat in the northeast part of Portugal. By 1680 it was the only ecclesiastical seat in the region.
. The relief in this region is influenced by hard quartzite depoists near the border region, making erosion difficult, resulting in high escarpments and cliffs. The soils are composed of schist
s and granite
bedrocks.
It contains Miranda do Douro
.
with: Aranda de Duero
, Autonomous Community of Castile and León
, Spain
Bimenes
, Principality of Asturias
, Spain
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. Referred to as the "Cidade Museu" of the Trás-os-Montes region, it is located 86 kilometres from the district capital, preserving many of its medieval and Renaissance-era traditions and architecture. Its seventeen civil parishes offer different facets of these traditions, that include a unique variant on the Portuguese language (Mirandês), in addition to cultural and historical discontinuity with the rest of the Portuguese state.
History
Around 716 A.D., the Moors defeated local VisigothVisigoth
The Visigoths were one of two main branches of the Goths, the Ostrogoths being the other. These tribes were among the Germans who spread through the late Roman Empire during the Migration Period...
ic tribes, and occupied some of the lands, calling the area Mir-Hândul.
By the late 11th century, Castile coveted the region as a stepping-stone to Portugal. The settlement of the village of Miranda developed through the initiative of King Denis
Denis of Portugal
Dinis , called the Farmer King , was the sixth King of Portugal and the Algarve. The eldest son of Afonso III of Portugal by his second wife, Beatrice of Castile and grandson of king Alfonso X of Castile , Dinis succeeded his father in 1279.-Biography:As heir to the throne, Infante Dinis was...
, in an area that lied between the lateral slopes of the Douro
Douro
The Douro or Duero is one of the major rivers of the Iberian Peninsula, flowing from its source near Duruelo de la Sierra in Soria Province across northern-central Spain and Portugal to its outlet at Porto...
and Fresno River
Fresno River
The Fresno River is a river in Central California and a major tributary of the San Joaquin River. It runs approximately from the Sierra Nevada Range to the San Joaquin River.-Course:...
s. It was in Miranda that the Treaty of Alcanices was signed between Denis and Ferdinand IV of Castile
Ferdinand IV of Castile
Ferdinand IV, El Emplazado or "the Summoned," was a king of Castile and León and Galicia...
, setting the border between the two kingdoms. Miranda was founded on 18 December 1286, and immediately elevated to the status of vila (town), with one of its prerequistes declaring that the administrative division would be a Crown fief. From this period forward, Miranda became progressively one of the most important towns that skirted the Trás-os-Montes region.
The Castilians finally occupied Miranda do Douro during the late 14th century, and would remain there until they were expelled by John I of Portugal
John I of Portugal
John I KG , called the Good or of Happy Memory, more rarely and outside Portugal the Bastard, was the tenth King of Portugal and the Algarve and the first to use the title Lord of Ceuta...
.
On 10 July 1545, King John III
John III of Portugal
John III , nicknamed o Piedoso , was the fifteenth King of Portugal and the Algarves. He was the son of King Manuel I and Maria of Aragon, the third daughter of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile...
elevated Miranda do Douro to the status of city, at the same time becoming the first diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
in Trás-os-Montes (in a papal bull
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
on 22 May 1545 by Pope Paul III, which segmented a major part of the archdiocese of Braga. Miranda, therefore, became the capital of the Trás-os-Montes, seat of the bishopric (that included the residence of the bishop, canons and ecclesiastical authorities), military governorship and civil centre.
In 1762, during the Seven Years War, the army of Edward III invaded the Trás-os-Montes. During the course of his invasion, the gunpowder magazine (with over 500 barrels of powder) was hit by a cannon, destroying the four towers of the castle and many of the barrios in the vicinity. Approximately a third of the city's population (about 400 residents) were killed, resulting in the ruin of the religious, demographic and urbanized portion of Miranda. It was almost two years later (1764) that friar
Friar
A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders.-Friars and monks:...
Aleixo Miranda Henriques (then the twenty-third bishop]] would abandon Miranda, moving to Bragança, which had become a rival episcopal seat in the northeast part of Portugal. By 1680 it was the only ecclesiastical seat in the region.
Geography
Physical geography
Miranda do Douro is located in a region that skirts the border between the Portuguese Trás-os-Montes region, and the Spanish autonomous community of Castile and LeónCastile and León
Castile and León is an autonomous community in north-western Spain. It was so constituted in 1983 and it comprises the historical regions of León and Old Castile...
. The relief in this region is influenced by hard quartzite depoists near the border region, making erosion difficult, resulting in high escarpments and cliffs. The soils are composed of schist
Schist
The schists constitute a group of medium-grade metamorphic rocks, chiefly notable for the preponderance of lamellar minerals such as micas, chlorite, talc, hornblende, graphite, and others. Quartz often occurs in drawn-out grains to such an extent that a particular form called quartz schist is...
s and granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
bedrocks.
Ecoregions/Protectet areas
The Parque Natural do Douro Internacional (Douro International Nature Park), which encompasses the municipalities of Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo Municipality, Freixo de Espada à Cinta, Miranda do Douro and Mogadouro, includes an area of 85150 hectares (328.8 sq mi), along the border portion of the Douro River. It was created on 11 May 1998 to encompass the constituent territories that encompass the Rivers Douro and Águeda, along the Spain-Portugal border that include similar geological and climatic conditions, and to help support flora and fauna in the region, while allowing appropriate human activities. The creation of the complementary Parque Natural de Arribes in Spain, allowed the systematic protection of an area that encompassed the larger ecosystem and biome.Climate
Due to its place in the Nordeste Transmontano, the area is prone to extreme weather fluctuations. It is common for locals to refer to the climate in this region in these terms: Em Miranda há nove meses de Inverno e três de Inferno ("In Miranda there are seven months of winter and three months of Hell"). The summer tends to be dry and warm, while the winters are rigorously cold with frequent snowfalls. Winters in Miranda are cold, with minimum temperatures hovering around 2°C (with 30-day consecutive cold temperatures that oscillate around 0°C), at times reaching into the negatives. Summer is completely opposite: hot, dry with maximum temperatures hovering around 32°C.Human geography
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Sendim Sendim is a town and civil parish in the municipality of Miranda do Douro, Portugal. It has a population of 1,432 . Sendim is in the area where the rare Mirandese language, related to Leonese language, is spoken and co-official with Portuguese.... |
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It contains Miranda do Douro
Miranda do Douro
Miranda do Douro or Miranda de l Douro , is a city in Miranda do Douro Municipality, district of Bragança, Portugal.The city has a population of 1,960.-General information:...
.
Twin towns — Sister cities
Miranda do Douro is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Aranda de Duero
Aranda de Duero
Aranda de Duero is a Spanish town and municipality in the south of the province of Burgos, autonomous community of Castile and León. It has a population of roughly 33,000 people. The post code for the town is 09400. The closest airport is in Valladolid....
, Autonomous Community of Castile and León
Castile and León
Castile and León is an autonomous community in north-western Spain. It was so constituted in 1983 and it comprises the historical regions of León and Old Castile...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Bimenes
Bimenes
Bimenes is a municipality of Asturias, Spain. It borders with Siero, Nava, Laviana and San Martín del Rey Aurelio.It is situated in the center zone of Asturias. Its capital is Martimporra...
, Principality of Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
, Spain
Notable citizens
- Leonel VieiraLeonel VieiraLeonel Vieira is a Portuguese film director. He directed films such as Zona J , A Bomba , The Forest .-External links:...
(c.1969), a film director, who apart from various films in the late 20th and early 21st century, also filmed the video Rosa Branca for fadistFadoFado is a music genre which can be traced to the 1820s in Portugal, but probably with much earlier origins. Fado historian and scholar, Rui Vieira Nery, states that "the only reliable information on the history of Fado was orally transmitted and goes back to the 1820s and 1830s at best...
MarizaMarizaMariza is the stage name of a popular fado singer. She was born Marisa dos Reis Nunes on 16 December 1973 in Lourenço Marques, Mozambique. At the time, Mozambique was known as the Portuguese Overseas Province of Mozambique....
.