GUARDA DISTRICT (PORTUGAL): AGUIAR DA BEIRA (PORTUGAL)

AGUIAR DA BEIRA

40° 49′ 02″ N, 7° 33′ 00″ W

Aguiar da Beira is a Portuguese municipality in the district of Guarda, located in the province of Beira Alta, in the Center region (Region of Beiras) and sub-region Viseu Dão-Lafões, with about 5 231 inhabitants (2021).

Headquartered in the homonymous village of Aguiar da Beira, which rises to an altitude of 781 m, this municipality has an area of 206.75 km² and 5,231 inhabitants (2021), subdivided into 10 parishes. The municipality of Aguiar da Beira is limited to the north by the municipality of Sernancelhe, to the east by Trancoso, to the southeast by Fornos de Algodres, to the southwest by Penalva do Castelo and to the west by Sátão.
Administratively, the municipality is divided into 10 civil parishes (freguesias):

Aguiar da Beira e Coruche
Carapito
Cortiçada
Dornelas
Eirado
Forninhos
Pena Verde
Pinheiro
Sequeiros e Gradiz
Souto de Aguiar da Beira e Valverde

History

Analysis of archaeological patrimony in the region suggest that human occupation in the region extends to the 4 millennium B.C., from investigations at the megalithic site of Carapito and the Dolmen of Carapito.[3] Within the proto-historic period, three sites (Castro de Carapito, Castro da Gralheira and Castro das Albelhas) were primary settlements in the region that collected small populations. On these sites were evidence of Roman tiles (specifically Castro da Gralheira and Castro das Albelhas), suggesting a longer period of settlement, beyond the Roman occupation.

Roman presence in the region also included vestiges, as in the case of granite edicules, in the locality of Penaverde (later conserved in the National Arcaheological Museum in Lisbon), and various ashlars reused in the construction the medieval castle of Aguiar da Beira, as well as the typical of other localities in the municipality in the construction of residences in the region.

After the fifth century, although during a period of instability caused by barbarian invasions, later Muslim armies and wars of Reconquest, settlement of continued in the region, during the later Medieval Age.[3] This is evident from the tombstones and burial grounds, as well as sarcophagus in necropoles in Aguiar da Beira and Moreira. This included various isolate sites, such as in Penaverde or Mosteiro, or alternately in Colherinhas, Pinheiro and Sequeiros, that point to human presence between the 7th and 12th century.

Patrimony
Clock tower;
Ameada Fountain;
Pillory.

Economy
The primary sector is the most important economic sector in the municipality. In fruit growing, the municipality has an annual production of around four thousand tons of apples, as well as about 150 tons of chestnuts. Another important product in the economy of Aguiar da Beira is Serra da Estrela cheese, with seven licensed cheese dairies in the region.