Vila Nova de Cerveira, Viana do Castelo, Portugal Genealogy

This is a historical and genealogical guide to the municipality of Vila Nova de Cerveira.

History

 * Vila Nova de Cerveira is a municipality in the district of Viana do Castelo, in Portugal.
 * Vila Nova de Cerveira is divided into 11 civil parishes.
 * On 1 October 1321 King Denis of Portugal ordered the construction of Castelo de Vila Nova de Cerveira, and the castle still dominates the town center.
 * The population of Vila Nova de Cerveira is roughly 9,300 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 Viana do Castelo Civil Registration.

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

Conservatória Registo Civil e Predial de Vila Nova de Cerveira Av. José L Castro Vila Nova de Cerveira 4920-277 Vila Nova de Cerveira PORTUGAL Phone: 251795259 Email: [mailto:crcpcom.vnova-cerveira@dgrn.mj.pt crcpcom.vnova-cerveira@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 Viana do Castelo 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.

Cemetario do Vila Mea Vila Mea, Vila Nova de Cerveira Municipality, Viana do Castelo PORTUGAL Website: FindAGrave

FamilySearch Centers
Vigo Spain Family History Center Av Garcia Barbon, 95 Bajo VIGO PONTEVEDRA 36201 PORTUGAL Phone: 34 986-264-931 Email: [mailto:ES_Vigo@familyhistorymail.org ES_Vigo@familyhistorymail.org] Website: Vigo Spain Family History Center