|
Covilhã ((:kuviˈʎɐ̃)) is a city and a municipality in the Centro region, Portugal. The city proper had 34,772 inhabitants in 2001.〔(UMA POPULAÇÃO QUE SE URBANIZA, Uma avaliação recente - Cidades, 2004 ) Nuno Pires Soares, Instituto Geográfico Português (Geographic Institute of Portugal)〕 The municipality population in 2011 was 51,797,〔(Instituto Nacional de Estatística )〕 in an area of 555.60 km².〔(Direção-Geral do Território )〕 It is located in the Cova da Beira subregion and the district of Castelo Branco. The municipal holiday is October 20. Sometimes referred to as ''town of wool and snow'', Covilhã is one of the main urban centres of the historical Beira Interior region. The proximity of the mountains offers dramatic scenery and a great environment for those fond of hiking, camping, mountain climbing and skiing. ==History and landmarks== Its history dates back to the days when it was a pre-historical settlement, a shelter for Lusitanian shepherds, and a Roman fortress known as ''Cava Juliana'' or ''Silia Hermínia''. The region of Beira Interior, where the city of Covilhã is located, is rich in historical places. Due to its strategic potential, its mountains were used to build castles for both attack and defence purposes. Covilhã was granted foral in 1186 by king Sancho I of Portugal, who also built the castle walls. The old quarters of the city have narrow cobblestone streets; pedestrians are challenged permanently by the ups and downs of most of the streets in the city. A school-factory was built by the Count of Ericeira in 1681. On November 1, 1755, Covilhã was shaken by the forces of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake that destroyed part of Covilhã's castle walls and its large towers. A Royal Textile Factory, was established in the city by the Marquis of Pombal in 1763, and Covilhã was granted city status in 20 October 1870 by king Luís I of Portugal. Along the two streams that cross the city there are still remains of the old textile factories, which bear witness to the unquestionable importance of this industry for Covilhã's economy, once known as the "Portuguese Manchester". During the first half of the 19th century, the municipality of Covilhã had about 22,000 inhabitants, and in 1930 it nearly reached 50,000 inhabitants. During the 1960s, Covilhã's municipality surpassed 70,000 inhabitants, but the Portuguese Colonial War (1961–1974) and the generalized emigration phenomena of the 1960s to 1980s Portuguese society, its geographical location in the mountainous interior of central Portugal, increasing mechanization and the stagnation of its textile industrial sector, caused a period of decline of its population to nearly 50,000 in the 1990s. A state-run university, UBI - Universidade da Beira Interior, was founded in 1979. The city is still expanding, mainly to the flat part of the valley called Cova da Beira, where some important infrastructures such as the central hospital and the highway are located. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Covilhã」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|