Oliveira do Hospital Municipality, Portugal

Coordinates: 40°22′44.47″N 7°52′11.91″W / 40.3790194°N 7.869975°W / 40.3790194; -7.869975

Oliveira do Hospital
Municipality (Concelho)
The civil parish of Avô, on the southern frontier of the municipality of Oliveira do Hospital
Flag Coat of arms
Official name: Concelho de Oliveira do Hospital
Country	Portugal
Region	Centro
District	Coimbra
Municipality	Sintra
Civil Parishes	Aldeia das Dez, Alvoco das Várzeas, Avô, Bobadela, Ervedal, Lagares, Lagos da Beira, Lajeosa, Lourosa, Meruge, Nogueira do Cravo, Oliveira do Hospital, Penalva de Alva, Santa Ovaia, São Gião, São Paio de Gramaços, São Sebastião da Feira, Seixo da Beira, Travanca de Lagos, Vila Franca da Beira, Vila Pouca da Beira
Rivers	Alva, Alvoco
Center	Travanca de Lagos
- elevation	428 m (1,404 ft)
- coordinates	40°22′44.47″N 7°52′11.91″W / 40.3790194°N 7.869975°W / 40.3790194; -7.869975
Length	25.93 km (16 mi), Southwest-Northeast
Width	14.38 km (9 mi), Northwest-Southeast
Area	234.51 km2 (91 sq mi)
Population	20,919 (2011 )
Density	89.20 / km2 (231 / sq mi)
LAU	Concelho/Câmara Municipal
- location	Largo Conselheiro Cabral Metello, Oliveira do Hospital
- elevation	490 m (1,608 ft)
- coordinates	40°21′32.29″N 7°51′44.92″W / 40.3589694°N 7.8624778°W / 40.3589694; -7.8624778
President	José Carlos Alexandrino Mendes (PS)
Municipal Chair	António dos Santos Lopes (PS)
Timezone	WET (UTC0)
- summer (DST)	WEST (UTC+1)
ISO 3166-2 code	PT-
Postal Zone	3400-062 Oliveira do Hospital
Area Code & Prefix	(+351) 238 XX XX XX
Municipal Address	Largo Conselheiro Cabral Metello 3400-062 Oliveira do Hospital
Location of the municipality of Oliveira do Hospital in continental Portugal
Wikimedia Commons: Oliveira do Hospital
Statistics: Instituto Nacional de Estatística[1]
Website: http://www.cm-oliveiradohospital.pt
Geographic detail from CAOP (2010)[2] produced by Instituto Geográfico Português (IGP)

Oliveira do Hospital (Portuguese pronunciation: [oliˈvɐjɾɐ ðu ɔʃpiˈtaɫ]) is a municipality in the old district of Coimbra, in the central part of continental Portugal.

History

Oliveira do Hospital has seen human occupation dating back to the Neolithic, as seen from this example: the Dolmen of Pinheiro dos Abraços

The Roman ruins in the civil parish of Bobadela

Inhabited by ancient civilizations, Oliveira do Hospital has Roman settlements, Visigothic relics, noble Gothic mansions as well as ancient villages built of slate. One can find Neolithic and Bronze Age burial grounds and genuine religious and rural relics such as the large granite outcroppings used as threshing floors, the Holy Cross Church and the Ferreiros Chapel, a Roman Gothic style temple dating to the 13th century and the Church of Sao Gião, known as the cathedral of its region due to its richly carved and painted 18th century Baroque interior.

Geography

It is located at the northern edge of the district of Coimbra in the foothills of the Serra da Estrela Mountains, bisected by the Alva and Alvoco River valleys.

• Aldeia das Dez
• Alvoco das Várzeas
• Avô
• Bobadela
• Ervedal
• Lagares
• Lagos da Beira
• Lajeosa
• Lourosa
• Meruge
• Nogueira do Cravo
• Oliveira do Hospital
• Penalva de Alva
• Santa Ovaia
• São Gião
• São Paio de Gramaços
• São Sebastião da Feira
• Seixo da Beira
• Travanca de Lagos
• Vila Franca da Beira
• Vila Pouca da Beira

Economy

Its fertile geographic position favors agriculture, which is the dominant activity of the region with wine and cheeses being its most important products. Regarding its business sector, confections, machine tools, packaging and toys are the most important. Oliveira do Hospital is known not only for its natural beauty but its cuisine, arts and crafts.

Transport

Although Oliveira do Hospital is well within the interior of the country, transportation services are quite adequate and have been increasing as befits a growing region. There are a number of roads to the coast and other cities, the best known being the scenic Estrada da Beira.

Notable citizens

• Brás Garcia de Mascarenhas
• Dulce Pássaro
• Carlos Martins

References

Notes

1. ^ INE, ed. (2010) (in Portuguese), Censos 2011 - Resultadas Preliminares [2011 Census - Preliminary Results], Lisbon, Portugal: Instituto Nacional de Estatística, http://www.ine.pt/xportal/xmain?xpid=INE&xpgid=ine_publicacoes&PUBLICACOESpub_boui=122114780&PUBLICACOESmodo=2, retrieved 1 July 2011 
2. ^ IGP, ed. (2010) (in Portuguese), Carta Administrativa Oficial de Portugal, Lisbon, Portugal: Instituto Geográfico Português, http://www.igeo.pt/produtos/cadastro/caop/download/Areas_Freg_Mun_Dist_CAOP2010.zip, retrieved 1 July 2011 

External links

• Photos from Oliveira do Hospital