Miranda do Douro, Bragança, Portugal Genealogy

This is a historical and genealogical guide to the municipality of Miranda do Douro.

History

 * Miranda do Douro or Miranda de I Douro is a town and a municipality in the district of Bragança, northeastern Portugal.
 * Archeologist discoveries give evidence that inhabitants had lived there since the Bronze Age.
 * In AD 716, the Moors defeated local Visigothic tribes and occupied some of the lands.
 * In the late 11th century, Castile coveted the region as a stepping-stone to Portugal.
 * King Denis developed the settlement of the village of Miranda through an initiative.
 * The Treaty of Alcanices was signed brtween Denis and Ferdinand IV of Castile, setting the border between the two kingdoms.
 * Miranda was founded 18 December 1286 and immediately elevated to the status of Vila.
 * The Castilians occupied Miranda do Douro in the late 14th century and remained there until John I of Portugal expelled them.
 * 10 July 1545 King John III elevated Miranda do Douro to the status of city, at the same time becoming the first diocese in Trás-os-Montes.
 * In 1762, during the Seven Years War, the army of Charles III of Spain invaded the area.
 * By 1869 it was the only ecclesiastical seat in the reigon.
 * Miranda do Douro is divided into 13 civil parishes.
 * Mirandese is the local language and is of the Astur-Leonese Family. It was recognized by the Portuguse state as co-official with Portuguese for local matters.
 * The population of Miranda do Douro is roughly 7,500 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 Bragança Civil Registration.

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

Conservatória do Registo Civil e Predial de Miranda do Douro R. Paço Miranda Douro 5210-211 Miranda do Douro PORTUGAL Phone: 273432214 Email: [mailto:crcpcom.miranda-douro@dgrn.mj.pt crcpcom.miranda-douro@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 Bragança 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
Ponferrada Spain Family History Center Calle Batalla del Salado, 1 PONFERRADA LEON 24403 PORTUGAL Phone: 34 987 415 298 Email: [mailto:ES_Ponferrada@familyhistorymail.org ES_Ponferrada@familyhistorymail.org] Website: Ponferrada Spain Family History Center