São Gião is a parish

Parish

A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...

 (freguesia in Portuguese), in the North of Portugal

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...

, on Serra da Estrela, the highest mountain range in Portugal. It belongs to the municipality

Municipalities of Portugal

In Portugal, municipality or concelho is the most stable subdivision of Portugal since the foundation of the country.Portugal has an entirely separate system of cities and towns. Cities and towns are located in municipalities, but often do not have the same boundaries, even if built-up is continuous...

 of Oliveira do Hospital

Oliveira do Hospital

Oliveira do Hospital is a municipality in the old district of Coimbra, in the central part of continental Portugal.-History:Inhabited by ancient civilizations, Oliveira do Hospital has Roman settlements, Visigothic relics, noble Gothic mansions as well as ancient villages built of slate...

, and the district (distrito) of Coimbra

Coimbra (district)

Coimbra District is located in the Centro Region, the district capital is the city of Coimbra.-Municipalities:The district is composed by 17 municipalities:* Arganil* Cantanhede* Coimbra* Condeixa-a-Nova* Figueira da Foz* Góis* Lousã* Mira...

.

It is located at 40°20'11.93N, 7°47'57.43W and lies at an altitude of 704m, in the Beira

Beira, Portugal

Beira was one of the six traditional provinces or "comarcas" of Portugal.-Administrative history:The medieval province of Beira was divided in 1832 into* Beira Alta Province* Beira Baixa ProvinceBeira Litoral...

 region.

It is an old Roman trading post. The old Roman bridge is still visible and in use to this day.

The town has a magnificent church - Igreja Matrix, also known as the Igreja Matriz de São Gião or the Catedral das Beiras. This is an excellent building in the Baroque style that dates back to 1795. It has 102 magnificent hand painted panels on the roof that are well worth the trip to this small, hidden village on the slopes of the Serra da Estrela.

See also

• Beira
  Beira, Portugal
  Beira was one of the six traditional provinces or "comarcas" of Portugal.-Administrative history:The medieval province of Beira was divided in 1832 into* Beira Alta Province* Beira Baixa ProvinceBeira Litoral...
  
  
• Serra da Estrela
• Oliveira do Hospital
  Oliveira do Hospital
  Oliveira do Hospital is a municipality in the old district of Coimbra, in the central part of continental Portugal.-History:Inhabited by ancient civilizations, Oliveira do Hospital has Roman settlements, Visigothic relics, noble Gothic mansions as well as ancient villages built of slate...
  
  
• Coimbra
  Coimbra
  Coimbra is a city in the municipality of Coimbra in Portugal. Although it served as the nation's capital during the High Middle Ages, it is better-known for its university, the University of Coimbra, which is one of the oldest in Europe and the oldest academic institution in the...