Miranda do Douro
Encyclopedia
Miranda do Douro or Miranda de l Douro (miˈɾãdɐ ðɨɫ ˈðawɾu), is a city in Miranda do Douro Municipality
, district of Bragança, Portugal
.
The city has a population of 1,960.
.
The present mayor is Manuel Rodrigo Martins (Social Democrat
) and the president of the Municipal Assembly is Domingos Duarte Lima (Social Democrat
). The municipal holiday is on July 10.
The river is one of the main attractions of this small city. There are organized trips to watch the wildlife, mostly birds of prey. Important hydro-electrical stations exist in the municipality.
The city itself is quite small. The city is also surrounded by many smaller villages, which surround the city at almost all angles. Most inhabitants of Miranda do Douro are either merchants or farmers. As Miranda do Douro is quite small, population wise. Most of its economical growth is dependent on the summer months, when most tourists come to see the city.
Most tourists are of Spanish origin as Spain is very close neighbor to Miranda do Douro. Other tourists that come to the city during the summer can also be of French origin or North American. Other tourists that come to the city during the summer month tend to be people who grew up within the area and enjoy coming back every summer be it to see family or just vacation in the small and quaint city.
is Zamora
, site of the Treaty of Zamora
(1143) between the Portuguese king Afonso I
and the Leonese king Alfonso VII
. This marked the recognition of the independence
of the Kingdom of Portugal
, proclaimed in 1139.
Gastronomy is one of the local hallmarks, well within the tradition of Trás-os Montes. "Posta à Mirandesa", a heavy, thick steak, is the traditional dish, known and imitated through the rest of the country. The wine from the region has a high alcoholic graduation (17-18º) and matches the regional cuisine well.
The city's old quarter, with the cathedral, dates back to the Middle Ages
. Most houses are small and one story high. Inside the old city proper lie the town hall and museum, the "Museu da Terra de Miranda" (museum of the lands of Miranda), which has displays of archaeological findings, farm life, local clothing, and traditional masks.
The city has no industries but depends on commercial activity, mainly the sale of house textiles and cutlery from the village of Palaçoulo. Spaniards come in great number on holidays and weekends. There are several hotels, among them the Pousada de Santa Catarina, which overlooks the Douro River.
(Mirandês), a language related to Leonese
, that was recognized in 1999 by the Portuguese state as co-official with Portuguese language
for local matters.
Miranda do Douro Municipality
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...
, district of Bragança, 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...
.
The city has a population of 1,960.
General information
The municipality is composed of 17 parishes, and is located in the northeastern part of the country, in the district of BragançaBragança (district)
Bragança District is a traditional political division of Portugal, in the northeast corner bordering on Spain, covering 7.4% of the nations continental landmass. The capital of the district, Bragança, is 217 kilometres from Porto, the second largest town in Portugal, and 107 kilometres and 169...
.
The present mayor is Manuel Rodrigo Martins (Social Democrat
Social Democratic Party (Portugal)
The Social Democratic Party , is a centre-right liberal conservative political party in Portugal. It is commonly known by its initials, PSD; on ballot papers, its initials appear as PPD/PSD, with the first three letters coming from the party's original name, Democratic People's Party...
) and the president of the Municipal Assembly is Domingos Duarte Lima (Social Democrat
Social Democratic Party (Portugal)
The Social Democratic Party , is a centre-right liberal conservative political party in Portugal. It is commonly known by its initials, PSD; on ballot papers, its initials appear as PPD/PSD, with the first three letters coming from the party's original name, Democratic People's Party...
). The municipal holiday is on July 10.
The river is one of the main attractions of this small city. There are organized trips to watch the wildlife, mostly birds of prey. Important hydro-electrical stations exist in the municipality.
The city itself is quite small. The city is also surrounded by many smaller villages, which surround the city at almost all angles. Most inhabitants of Miranda do Douro are either merchants or farmers. As Miranda do Douro is quite small, population wise. Most of its economical growth is dependent on the summer months, when most tourists come to see the city.
Most tourists are of Spanish origin as Spain is very close neighbor to Miranda do Douro. Other tourists that come to the city during the summer can also be of French origin or North American. Other tourists that come to the city during the summer month tend to be people who grew up within the area and enjoy coming back every summer be it to see family or just vacation in the small and quaint city.
History
The city is located on the border with Spain, with the Douro River separating the two countries. The nearest town in SpainSpain
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...
is Zamora
Zamora, Spain
Zamora is a city in Castile and León, Spain, the capital of the province of Zamora. It lies on a rocky hill in the northwest, near the frontier with Portugal and crossed by the Duero river, which is some 50 km downstream as it reaches the Portuguese frontier...
, site of the Treaty of Zamora
Treaty of Zamora
The Treaty of Zamora recognized Portuguese independence from the Kingdom of León. Based on the terms of the accord, King Alfonso VII of León and Castille recognized the Kingdom of Portugal in the presence of King Afonso I of Portugal, witnessed by the papal representative, Cardinal Guido de Vico,...
(1143) between the Portuguese king Afonso I
Afonso I of Portugal
Afonso I or Dom Afonso Henriques , more commonly known as Afonso Henriques , nicknamed "the Conqueror" , "the Founder" or "the Great" by the Portuguese, and El-Bortukali and Ibn-Arrik by the Moors whom he fought, was the first King of Portugal...
and the Leonese king Alfonso VII
Alfonso VII of León
Alfonso VII , born Alfonso Raimúndez, called the Emperor , became the King of Galicia in 1111 and King of León and Castile in 1126. Alfonso first used the title Emperor of All Spain, alongside his mother Urraca, once his mother vested him with the direct rule of Toledo in 1116...
. This marked the recognition of the independence
History of Portugal (1112-1279)
The history of Portugal, in most of the 12th and 13th centuries, is chiefly that of its origin as a separate state, in the process of the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula.-Background:...
of the Kingdom of Portugal
Kingdom of Portugal
The Kingdom of Portugal was Portugal's general designation under the monarchy. The kingdom was located in the west of the Iberian Peninsula, Europe and existed from 1139 to 1910...
, proclaimed in 1139.
Culture
The city has been isolated from the rest of the country for many centuries, so the ancestral way of life is still vivid in the traditions and even in the language (see below). Apart from the distance, the weather conditions are also an adversary, as it is very cold and snowy in winter, and very dry and hot in summer.Gastronomy is one of the local hallmarks, well within the tradition of Trás-os Montes. "Posta à Mirandesa", a heavy, thick steak, is the traditional dish, known and imitated through the rest of the country. The wine from the region has a high alcoholic graduation (17-18º) and matches the regional cuisine well.
The city's old quarter, with the cathedral, dates back to the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. Most houses are small and one story high. Inside the old city proper lie the town hall and museum, the "Museu da Terra de Miranda" (museum of the lands of Miranda), which has displays of archaeological findings, farm life, local clothing, and traditional masks.
The city has no industries but depends on commercial activity, mainly the sale of house textiles and cutlery from the village of Palaçoulo. Spaniards come in great number on holidays and weekends. There are several hotels, among them the Pousada de Santa Catarina, which overlooks the Douro River.
Mirandese language
The surrounding area is home to the speakers of MirandeseMirandese language
The Mirandese language is a Romance language belonging to the Astur-Leonese linguistic group, sparsely spoken in a small area of northeastern Portugal, in the municipalities of Miranda do Douro, Mogadouro and Vimioso...
(Mirandês), a language related to Leonese
Leonese language
The Leonese language is the endonym term used to refer to all vernacular Romance dialects of the Astur-Leonese linguistic group in the Spanish provinces of León and Zamora; Astur-Leonese also includes the dialects...
, that was recognized in 1999 by the Portuguese state as co-official with Portuguese language
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
for local matters.
See also
- Kingdom of LeónKingdom of LeónThe Kingdom of León was an independent kingdom situated in the northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula. It was founded in AD 910 when the Christian princes of Asturias along the northern coast of the peninsula shifted their capital from Oviedo to the city of León...
- Leonese languageLeonese languageThe Leonese language is the endonym term used to refer to all vernacular Romance dialects of the Astur-Leonese linguistic group in the Spanish provinces of León and Zamora; Astur-Leonese also includes the dialects...
- Planalto Mirandes IPRPlanalto Mirandês IPRPlanalto Mirandes is a Portuguese wine region centered around the town of Miranda do Douro in the Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro region. The region was initially a separate Indicação de Proveniencia Regulamentada region, but in 2006, it became one of three subregions of the Trás-os-Montes DOC, which...
- Terra de MirandaTerra de MirandaTerra de Miranda the historical name of a 500 km² mesa in northeastern Portugal, lying on the border of Spain...
External links
- City government official website
- Photos from Miranda do Douro
- Pauliteiros de Miranda Mirandese culture (in Portuguese)