Castelo de Paiva

Castelo de Paiva is a town and a municipality of the Aveiro District in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 16,733, in an area of 115.01 km².On March 4, 2001 at 9 pm, a 116-year-old metal bridge linking the town of Sobrado (a.k.a. Castelo de Paiva) and Entre-os-Rios (a bridge connecting Castelo de Paiva to Penafiel) collapsed, killing 59 people, including those in a bus and three cars that were attempting to get to the other side of the Douro river. The Hintze Ribeiro Bridge disaster prompted accusations of government negligence, and the public works minister Jorge Coelho resigned shortly after the disaster. There is a monument near the bridge in honour of the people who died.The present Mayor is Gonçalo Rocha, elected by the Social Party.The municipal holiday is June 24.Cities and townsThere are two towns in the municipality. Castelo de Paiva RaivaParishesAdministratively, the municipality is divided into 6 civil parishes: Fornos Raiva, Pedorido e Paraíso Real Santa Maria de Sardoura São Martinho de Sardoura Sobrado e Bairros