Penafiel Municipality
| Penafiel | |||
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| Municipality | |||
A view of the Ponte Duarte Pacheco over the Douro in Penafiel
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| Coordinates: 41°12′N 8°17′W / 41.200°N 8.283°WCoordinates: 41°12′N 8°17′W / 41.200°N 8.283°W | |||
| Country |
 Portugal
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| Region | Norte | ||
| Subregion | Tâmega | ||
| Intermunic. comm. | Tâmega e Sousa | ||
| District | Porto | ||
| Parishes | 28 | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 212.24 km2 (81.95 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2011) | |||
| • Total | 72,265 | ||
| • Density | 340/km2 (880/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | WET/WEST (UTC+0/+1) | ||
| Website | http://www.cm-penafiel.pt/ | ||
Penafiel (Portuguese pronunciation: [pɨnɐfiˈɛɫ] or [ˌpenɐfiˈɛɫ]) is a municipality in the northern Portuguese district of Porto. Capital of the Tâmega Subregion, the population was 72,265 in 2011, in an area of 212.24 square kilometres (81.95 sq mi).
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 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) 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. In addition, there are various rock forts (castros), subject of archaeological studies, such as the archaeological "city of the dead" in Citânia de Monte Mozinho. One of the largest in the Iberian Peninsula, it was the precursor to the Galician organized community of Cividade Gallaeci; the hill fort is dotted with traces of various cultures: Galician-Lusitanian, Roman, Visigoth and Moorish. There different legends that indicate the origins of the name Penafiel, although the common thread associates it with the many forts situated in the locality.
With the consolidation and incorporation into the Roman world, these hill forts were reorganized and moved down from the hilltops, dispersing into concentrated settlements in open areas and encircled by cultivated parcels, such as in Bouça do Ouro (Boelhe). The Roman spa town of São Vicente do Pinheiro was an example of these centres, developing around the natural resources in the region. In addition, vains of gold interspersed in the Schist and Quartzite quarries attracted Roman settlers from the empire, resulting in an intense artesnal economy, supported by the circulation of a single currency, culture and language.
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