Description Penalva do Castelo

It is the seat of a municipality with 134.34 km² of area and 7 956 inhabitants (2011), subdivided into 11 parishes. The municipality is limited to the north by the municipality of Sátão, to the northeast by Aguiar da Beira, to the east by Fornos de Algodres, to the south by Mangualde and to the west by Viseu.

Penalva do Castelo is a Portuguese village in the district of Viseu, located in the province of Beira Alta, Centro region (Beiras Region) and sub-region Viseu Dão-Lafões, with about 2 000 inhabitants.

It is the seat of a municipality with 134.34 km² in area [1] and 7 956 inhabitants (2011), [2] [3] subdivided into 11 parishes. [4] The municipality is limited to the north by the municipality of Sátão, to the northeast by Aguiar da Beira, to the east by Fornos de Algodres, to the south by Mangualde and to the west by Viseu.

Penalva do Castelo, inhabited since time immemorial, exists as a municipality, at least since the 13th century. There are traces disseminated by the parishes that attest to the remote settlement of the Lands of Penalva, such as: Tapir do Penedo do Com, Castro da Paramuna, Monastery of the Holy Sepulcher, Roman bridge and roads and several anthropomorphic graves.

The church of Misericórdia and Casa da Ínsua are two ex-libris of the municipality. There are also other manors and mansions of undeniable historical and architectural interest.

The county seat - “Castendo” (toponym derived from Castenetum - allusive to chestnut) - became known as Penalva do Castelo in 1957.

The Municipality is characterized by being a territory made up of fertile irrigated land, thanks to the Dão, Coja, Ludares and Carapito rivers and the abundant streams that furrow it: especially on the northern slopes of the Dão River, there are generous vineyards and orchards; to the south there is a predominance of pastures that allow the production of excellent quality cheese. The maritime pine stands out among the species that cover the forest areas of the municipality. Nature is lavish and offers stunning landscapes and desirable corners.

Dão wine, Serra cheese and Bravo de Esmolfe apple are the “trilogy of excellence” of endogenous products. They are an added value for the livelihood of many families and an asset to leverage the local economy.

The gastronomy is rich and varied and makes the municipality a unique destination for tasting genuine and traditional flavors in warm and welcoming environments.