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Conference Location
The conference will be held in
Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Vila Real,
Portugal. The conference site is at the "Edifício de
Geociências" (Geociencias Biulding),
15/20 minutes in a walking distance from the City Cente (please
see the map).
Vila Real is within the Douro region (please check
this
site for information about the Douro region which is
classified as World Heritage).
About Vila Real:
History of Vila Real
The recorded history of Vila Real seems to begin in 1289 when the King Dom, Afonso III, granted the town a royal warrant. It was here that the explorer Diogo Cão was born and who later discovered in 1482 the entrance to the mouth of the River Congo in Africa. The rebel Manuel de Silveira Pinto da Fonseca who was also held the title of Conde de Amarante and whose direct actions in 1823 led to the War of the Miguelites, established his headquarters for his revolutionary movement in the town until he was later forced to escape into exile in Spain.
 
 
Description of
Vila
Real
Located at the converging point of two rivers it has always
been a busy agricultural and commercial town, mainly based around the lucrative
wine and port trade. Its main feature is its fine 15th Century Gothic Cathedral
that was originally a church belonging to the Order of Dominicans whose
Monastery was later completely destroyed in the 19th Century when there was a
strong movement for the liberalization of the country from the hold of both the
church and old nobility. Nearby is the “Igreja dos Clérigos”, a church with an
attractive Baroque facade and tiled interior. The “Igreja de São Pedro” is from
the 16th Century and its interior is rich with many sculptures and sacred tiling.
The Archaeological
Museum of the town also
has a large collection of coins covering all periods of history. It is from
this town that boat trips through the upper valley of the “Rio Dão” can be
taken. The town of Vila Real
is well known for its distinctive black toned coloured pottery whose origin is
unspecified. A specialty food of the town is the "Touchinho do Céu"
that is made with a pumpkin filling.
Just about 3 Kms. to the northeast of the town
is the now world famous “Casa Mateus”, a fine example of an aristocratic
country manor from the early 18th Century. Still owned by the descendants of
its creator the home is open to visitors and in which occasional music and
poetry events regularly take place.
An attractive feature of this property is
the gardens and especially the famed "Cedar Tunnel" that is
composed of cedars 7.5 metres high creating some 35 metres of
a walkway as a covered tunnel. Slightly further to the
northwest of Vila Real starts the protected area named Parque
Natural do Alvão. Its topography varies considerably from
well-cultivated valleys to the stark mountains reaching up to
1.339 metres (4.393 feet). Being unfortunately close to an
urban area the illegal hunters still abound. Happily some
hawks, otters, and other wild life can still be spotted in the
Park.
How to get to Vila Real
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