Penafiel ( <small>or</small> ) is a municipality and former bishopric (now a Latin Catholic titular see) in the northern Portuguese district of Porto. Capital of the Tâmega Subregion, the population was 72,265 in 2011, in an area of .

History

thumb|235px|left|The Dolmen of Santa Marta, one of the pre-historic tombs that dot the landscape

The region was occupied since pre-history, as evidenced by the proliferation of megalithic monuments, stone settlements and castros. This includes the Menhir of Luzim, a tall stone dating to an occupation of 3–4000 years B.C. Similarly, in the civil parish of Luzim, are the rock engravings that have existed for 3000 years. while she successfully requested the Holy See to undo the See creation.

On 11 November 1778, Pope Pius VI decided by motu proprio to extinguish the diocese, incorporating its administration (once more) into the mother Diocese of Porto, It is a landscape of deep valleys, with intense irrigated zones and pasturelands, with fields encircled by forests of pine and eucalyptus.

Human geography

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With 28 civil parishes it includes a resident population of 72,000 inhabitants (approximately 338.4 people per kilometre square), integrated into the Associação de Municípios do Vale do Sousa (Vale de Sousa Municipal Association) and NUTSIII Tâmega Subregion.

  • Abragão
  • Boelhe
  • Bustelo
  • Cabeça Santa
  • Canelas
  • Capela
  • Castelões
  • Croca
  • Duas Igrejas
  • Eja
  • Fonte Arcada
  • Galegos
  • Guilhufe e Urrô
  • Irivo
  • Lagares e Figueira
  • Luzim e Vila Cova
  • Oldrões
  • Paço de Sousa
  • Penafiel
  • Perozelo
  • Rans
  • Rio de Moinhos
  • Rio Mau
  • São Mamede de Recezinhos
  • São Martinho de Recezinhos
  • Sebolido
  • Termas de São Vicente
  • Valpedre

The parishes are, largely, semi-industrialized, with a mixture of modern homes and rural dwellings in nature. Villages have houses made with small stones and granite, both of which are common in locality of Penafiel.

Economy

Extraction industries, civil construction firms and commerce employs a large number of workers, in addition to a strong concentration of service sector activities, confirmed by a Penafiel's central place in the regional economy.