Pinhel

Pinhel is a municipality, former Catholic bishopric and present Latin titular see in the central subregion of Beira Interior Norte, in Portugal. The municipality population in 2011 was 9,627, in an area of 484.52 km². The urban centre of Pinhel had about 3500 residents in 2001.HistoryThe origins of this municipality date back to the Calcolithic period, as many of the remnants of ancient cultures from this period remain: namely the rock-art engravings and paintings that line the Côa valley in Cidadelhe. Part of the historic district of Guarda, the region obtained its name for many pine forests that covered the region's hills and mountains.There are also several references to a pre-Roman or Roman presence, suggesting a continuace occupency since this period.During the medieval period, owing to the defensive requirements of the flegdling nation, several fortified centres developed, including the Pinhel, but also along a line that included: Trancoso, Marialva, Guarda, Castelo Rodrigo, Almeida and Castelo Mendo. The Castle of Pinhel dates from the reign of King Denis and the keep tower from his descendent, King Manuel I. Pinhel's strategic position, along the frontier with Spain, made the monarchs of Portugal retain many of these fortifications, as well as allowing the development of their territorial claims.The historical centre, with its narrow roadways, were adapted from the morphology of the terrain, with many patrimonial references to the medieval and modern eras. The homes of the city of Pinhel, some dating from the 16th century, includes some lost references to the presence of a Jewish population at one time, such as along the Rua de Santa Maria. Pinhel was, for a long time, the seat of its own diocese, before being incorporated into the Diocese of Guarda.