Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal Genealogy

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

History

 * Coimbra is a city and a municipality in Portugal.
 * Coimbra has 18 civil parishes.
 * Coimbra has many archaelogical structures dating back to the Roman Era.
 * Between 568 abd 589 the Sueves and Visigoths sacked the area and then abandoned it.
 * It became the seat of a diocesis replacing Conimbriga.
 * Between 711 and 715 Musulims occupied the area.
 * The Moors retook the castle in 987-1064.
 * Reconquest was attained in 1064 by Ferdinand I of León and Castile.
 * In 1086 Stewardship went to Henry of Burgandy by Alfonso VI of León and Castile.
 * In the middle ages, Coimbra was divided into and upper city where the Aristocracy and clergy lived with the merchant, artisan and labour centers in the lower city. The old and new Jewish quarters were added as well
 * In the first half of the 19th century Coimbra underwent a difficult period, they were invaded by Frence troups. In 1819 the city was recaptured by the Portuguse militia.
 * The years from 1131 to 1255 when Coimbra was the capital of Portugal is shown by buildings from that period.
 * The 13th century saw of the end of Combria as the capital of Portugal.
 * In 1290 Coimbra established the University of Coimbra and is the oldes academic institution in the Portuguese-speaking world.
 * The population of Coimbra is roughly 146,400 people.

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

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

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

Conservatória do Registo Civil de Coimbra Av. Fernão Magalhães 521 – R/C 3000-177 Coimbra PORTUGAL Phone: 239838431 Fax: 239854009 Email: [mailto:crc.coimbra@dgrn.mj.pt crc.coimbra@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 Coimbra 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.

Mosteiro de Santa Cruz Coimbra, Coimbra Municipality, Coimbra PORTUGAL Website: FindAGrave

FamilySearch Centers
Coimbra Portugal Family History Center Rua Penedo da Saudade 20 COIMBRA 3000-331 PORTUGAL Phone: +351 351-39-718437 Email: [mailto:PT_Coimbra@familyhistorymail.org PT_Coimbra@familyhistorymail.org] Website: Coimbra Portugal Family History Center