Penedono, Viseu, Portugal Genealogy

This is a historical and genealogical guide to the municipality of Penedono.

History

 * The population of Penedono is roughly 2,952 people, the area is 133.71 km (51.63 square miles).
 * There are 7 parishes.
 * Although the Dolmen culture reached the regions of Penedono during antiquity, the land was not sucessively occupied until barbarians from eastern Europe settled there.
 * Two centuries later these groups were displaced by Arab invaders from North Africa and remained there until expelled by Ferdinand I in the second half of the 9th century.
 * By the end of the 12th century, the villa de penna de dono pertained to the Kings of Portugal, and with the intention of increase settlement King Sancho signed a foral in 1195 to recognize land claims of the local inhabitants and provided privileges to renegade knights.
 * A floral is a Royal document, the main purpose was to establish a council and regulate its admistration, borders and privileges.
 * In October 1217, a second foral was conferred by Afonso II, the Queen and his children: the Infantes Sancho and Afonso III, and Infanta Eleanor.
 * In 1321, during the reign of King Denis there existed three parochial churches in Penedono, Santa Maria Magdelana was extinguished, and its lands divided into the remaining authorities. Similarly São Salvador, also, became extinct.
 * On the 27th of November 1512 the last foral was donated to Pene de Dono during the reign of Manuel I of Portugal, undersigned by Fernão de Pina.
 * During the 1527 population cadastral inventory of King John III, the municipality of Penedono included 486 homes and 1500 inhabitants. The most populous area of Antas, with 130 homes, followed by Castaínço (85), Beselga (82), Prova (78), Vila (73) and Alcarva (48); Antas represented almost a third of the resident population.
 * In 1708, Penedono was part of the comarca of Pinhel, divided between the ecclesiastical parishes of São Salvador and São Pedro, abbeys of the royal Padroado. *The municipality included at that time its first Casa da Misericórdia, Hospital and five chapels, in addition to seven civil parishes.
 * In the second half of the same century, Joaquim de Azevedo, abbey of Cedavim, composed his História Eclesiástica da cidade e Bispado de Lamego, now Penedono, to be transferred to the comarca of Trancoso.
 * By decree on 23 December 1873, it magisterial rights were stripped, and municipal authority remained.
 * In 1895 Penedono was extinguished on 7 September, to be restored on 13 January 1898, along with all pre-existing civil parishes.

Online Records
After 100 years, all civil registration records are sent to the municipality's district office.

To view online civil registration records, visit Viseu Civil Registration.

Contact a Civil Registration Office
The following is a list of civil registration offices within the municipality.

Conservatória dos Registos Civil – Predial e Cartório Notarial de Penedono Lg. Devesa 3630-253 Penedono PORTUGAL Phone: 254504144 Email: [mailto:crcpncom.penedono@dgrn.mj.pt crcpncom.penedono@dgrn.mj.pt]

Communicate your request in Portuguese whenever possible. For writing a letter or email in Portuguese, use the translated questions and phrases in this Portuguese Letter-writing Guide.

Online Records
In 1910, the Portuguese government transferred all birth, marriage, and death records from all the country's parishes to the district offices. These records are now in either District or National archives. Many of these records have been digitized and can be viewed at the District Archive's website or on FamilySearch.

To view online records, visit Viseu Church Records.

Contact a Parish
If you are seeking church records created more recently than 1910, it is possible to obtain them by writing to the parish where the record was created. Writing to a parish is not always a reliable way to obtain information, because officials may or may not respond.

Conferência Episcopal Portuguesa lists websites for the 20 Dioceses of Portugal. Once on the Diocesan website, use the listing of parishes (paróquias) to locate contact information for the parish in question.

Communicate your request in Portuguese whenever possible. For writing a letter or email in Portuguese, use the translated questions and phrases in this Portuguese Letter-writing Guide.

Cemeteries
Cemeteries did not become popular in Portugal until the late nineteenth century. Prior to this, individuals were buried in their parish church cemetery, and their bones were later removed to an unmarked burial place.

Family History Centers
Viseu Portugal Family History Center Rua Cândido dos Reis 81 VISEU 3510-056 PORTUGAL Phone: +351 351-32425559 Email: [mailto:PT_Viseu@familyhistorymail.org PT_Viseu@familyhistorymail.org] Website: Viseu Portugal Family History Center