Idanha-a-Nova

Idanha-a-Nova () is a town and surrounding municipality in the district of Castelo Branco, in east-central Portugal. A border municipality with Spain, the population of the municipality in 2011 was 9,716, in an area of 1416.34 km2, making it one of the largest and least densely populated municipalities in Portugal as well as the first Portuguese municipality by population ageing. King Alfonso II (1211-1223) confirmed its charter in 1219 renaming the village with the current place names (Idanha-a-Nova) to distinguish it from the old Idanha (hereinafter Idanha-a-Velha), 18 kilometers away. The municipal holiday is the Monday 15 days after Easter. The incumbent mayor is Armindo Moreira Palma Jacinto, representing the Socialist Party. History There are numerous prehistoric vestiges of human occupation throughout the municipality of Idanha-a-Nova (Idanha "the new"), such as menhirs and tapirs. The Romans had an important influence, namely in the civil parishes of Monsanto, Idanha-a-Velha (Idanha "the old", formerly known as the Roman Civitas Igaeditanorum and the Germanic Egitânia) and Ladoeiro and in the countryside around the town of Idanha-a-Nova proper, where there was a Roman villa, immortalized in an ancient mosaic. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Suevi and Visigoths dominated, and is from that time the creation of the now extinct Bishopric of Egitânia. In terms of architectural heritage, Egitânia (Idanha-a-Velha) stands out as an archaeological site from the year 534, which was one of the most important cities in Lusitania at a time, with the remaining sections of Roman pavements and the Romanesque bridge, built over the Ponsul River. In 1187, a castle was built by Gualdim Pais, a Portuguese crusader, Knight Templar in the service of Afonso Henriques of Portugal. King Sancho I (1185-1211) granted Idanha a foral charter in 1201 in order to encourage the settlement and defence of the land. His successor, King Alfonso II (1211-1223) confirmed this charter in 1219 renaming the village with the current place names (Idanha-a-Nova) to distinguish it from the old Idanha (hereinafter Idanha-a-Velha), 18 kilometers away. The village of Idanha-a-Nova has developed a lot since then, at the same time Idanha-a-Velha went into steady decline.