Oliveira do Hospital

Oliveira do Hospital is a municipality in the old district of Coimbra, in the central part of continental Portugal. The population in 2011 was 20,855, in an area of 234.52 km².HistoryInhabited 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.GeographyIt 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. Administratively, the municipality is divided into 16 civil parishes: Aldeia das Dez Alvoco das Várzeas Avô Bobadela Ervedal e Vila Franca da Beira Lagares Lagos da Beira e Lajeosa Lourosa Meruge Nogueira do Cravo Oliveira do Hospital e São Paio de Gramaços Penalva de Alva e São Sebastião da Feira Santa Ovaia e Vila Pouca da Beira São Gião Seixo da Beira Travanca de Lagos