Castro Verde, Beja, Portugal Genealogy

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

History

 * Castro Verde is a town and a municipality of the Alentejo region and the district of Beja.
 * The area dates back to 200,000 BC and was the migratory for the Neanderthal peoples from North of Europe.
 * Several Cultures made this home because of it rich resources of minerals and commercial location.
 * The Celtiberians were the earliest settlers in the 6th century BC, then came the Celts.
 * During the Roman period, there was a growth of settlements associated with the strategic importance of the Iberian Pyrite zone.
 * The migration of the Visigoths in 300-700 A.C. then in 711 the Moors ran them out.
 * In 1143 the Treaty of Zamora paved the way for the creation of the Kingdom of Portugal.
 * In 1234 during the regin of King Sancho II the area was secured by the Portuguese.
 * The Royal Basilica of Castro Verde was commissioned by King Sebastian of Portugal in 1573 to mark the Christian victory over the Moors.
 * The beginning of the 14th century the territories became organized within the new kingdom.
 * In the 19th century, Castro Verde was formalized within its current boundaries. It received its town charter in 1510 by King Manuel I of Portugual.
 * 2010 marked the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the town charter.
 * The population of Castro Verde is roughly 7,300 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 Beja Civil Registration.

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

Conservatória do Registo Civil e Cartório Notarial de Castro Verde Pç. Município 6 7780-217 Castro Verde PORTUGAL Phone: 286322411 Email: [mailto:crcpncom.castro-verde@dgrn.mj.pt crcpncom.castro-verde@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 Beja 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.

FamilySearch Centers
Beja Portugal FamilySearch Center Rua D Manuel I Nº9 BEJA ALGARVE 7800-306 PORTUGAL Email: [mailto:PT_Beja@familyhistorymail.org PT_Beja@familyhistorymail.org] Website: Beja Portugal FamilySearch Center