Caldas da Rainha

Caldas da Rainha
Image of the flag of Caldas da Rainha
Image of the coat of arms of Caldas da Rainha
Nickname: 
Caldas
Map showing the location of the municipality of Caldas da Rainha within Portugal
Municipality of Caldas da Rainha within Portugal
Coordinates: 39°24′26″N 9°8′9″W / 39.40722°N 9.13583°W / 39.40722; -9.13583
CountryPortugal Portugal
Intermunicipal entityComunidade Intermunicipal do Oeste
NUTS I statistical divisionContinente
NUTS II statistical regionCentro
NUTS III statistical subregionOeste
DistrictLeiria
Historical provinceEstremadura
Founded1484
Vila (town) status1511
Concelho/Município (Municipality)1821
Cidade (city) status1927
Founded byQueen Leonor[1]
Named forQueen Leonor
Freguesias (civil parishes)
Government
 • TypeMunicipality (Município, or concelho)
 • BodyCâmara Municipal (executive)
Assembleia Municipal (deliberative)
 •  MayorVitor Manuel Calisto Marques (Vamos Mudar - MV)
 • President of the Municipal AssemblyAntónio Gonçalves Marques Curado (Vamos Mudar)
Area
 • Municipality255.69 km2 (98.72 sq mi)
Dimensions
 • Length24 km (15 mi)
 • Width22 km (14 mi)
Highest elevation255 m (837 ft)
Lowest elevation0 m (0 ft)
Population
 • Municipality51,729
 • Density202.3/km2 (524/sq mi)
 • Statistical city
30,343
 [note 1]
DemonymCaldense
Time zoneUTC±00:00 (Western European Time[12])
 • Summer (DST)UTC+01:00 (Western European Summer Time[12])
Postal code (código postal)
2500
Area code262
Municipal holiday15 May[13]
Websitehttp://www.cm-caldas-rainha.pt/

Caldas da Rainha (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈkaldɐʒ ðɐ ʁɐˈiɲɐ] ) is a medium-sized Portuguese city in the Oeste region, in the historical province of Estremadura, and in the district of Leiria. The city serves as the seat of the larger municipality of the same name and of the Comunidade Intermunicipal do Oeste (OesteCIM, Intermunicipal Community of the West). At the 2011 census, the municipality had a population of 51,729 in an area of 255.69 square kilometres (98.72 sq mi), with 30,343 residing in the city. Although the city itself lies about 10.5 kilometres (6.5 mi) inland, three of the municipality's civil parishes lie on the Atlantic Ocean. Caldas da Rainha is best known for its sulphurous hot springs and ceramic pottery.

The settlement was founded in the 15th century by Queen Leonor (Rainha Dona Leonor), who established a hospital and a church at the site of some therapeutic hot springs. The Hospital Termal Rainha D. Leonor (Queen Leonor Spring Water Hospital, or Thermal Hospital) is the oldest purpose-built institution of its kind in the world, with five centuries of history. The city's name, often shortened to simply "Caldas", can be translated as "Queen's Hot Springs", "Queen's Spa", or "Queen's Baths".

Caldas da Rainha is a UNESCO Creative City. It is home to many cultural institutions. The city's nine museums cover art, history, and cycling. Cultural and sports venues include Centro Cultural e de Congressos (CCC, Cultural and Conference Centre), a centre for performing arts, exhibitions, and conferences; Expoeste – Centro de Exposições do Oeste (Exhibition Centre of the West), which hosts exhibitions and festivals; a bullring; several football (soccer) pitches; and a multi-sport municipal complex. Caldas hosts six professional and higher-educational institutions, including a major arts and design school and a school devoted to ceramics. In 2014 Caldas da Rainha had the best public secondary school in Portugal based on national test scores.

  1. ^ A Handbook for Travellers in Portugal: A Complete Guide for Lisbon...the Caldas...&c (Google Books) (Third ed.). London: John Murray. 1875. pp. 116–117. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  2. ^ "Area (km2) of national territory by Geographic localization (Administrative division); Annual–2012". Instituto Nacional de Estatística (Statistics Portugal). 18 October 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2014. (Click "Change selection conditions" to choose Caldas da Rainha under Portugal > Leiria.)
  3. ^ "Maximum length North/ South (km) of territorial units by Geographic localization (NUTS - 2002); Annual–2012". Instituto Nacional de Estatística (Statistics Portugal). 23 October 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2014. (Click "Change selection conditions" to choose Caldas da Rainha under Portugal > Continente > Centro > Oeste.)
  4. ^ "Maximum length East/ West (km) of territorial units by Geographic localization (NUTS - 2002); Annual–2012". Instituto Nacional de Estatística (Statistics Portugal). 23 October 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2014. (Click "Change selection conditions" to choose Caldas da Rainha under Portugal > Continente > Centro > Oeste.)
  5. ^ "Maximum height (m) of territorial units by Geographic localization (NUTS - 2002); Annual–2012". Instituto Nacional de Estatística (Statistics Portugal). 23 October 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2014. (Click "Change selection conditions" to choose Caldas da Rainha under Portugal > Continente > Centro > Oeste.)
  6. ^ "Minimum height (m) of territorial units by Geographic localization (NUTS - 2002); Annual–2012". Instituto Nacional de Estatística (Statistics Portugal). 23 October 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2014. (Click "Change selection conditions" to choose Caldas da Rainha under Portugal > Continente > Centro > Oeste.)
  7. ^ "Censos 2011 Resultados Definitivos" [2011 Census Definitive Results] (in Portuguese). Instituto Nacional de Estatística (Statistics Portugal). Archived from the original on 27 November 2012. Retrieved 28 April 2014. (In the "NUTS ou Distrito ou Município" field, enter "Caldas da Rainha", then click the magnifying glass icon.)
  8. ^ "Resident population (No.) by Place of residence and Sex; Decennial–2011". Instituto Nacional de Estatística (Statistics Portugal). 20 November 2012. Retrieved 28 April 2014. (Click "Change selection conditions" to choose Caldas da Rainha under Portugal > Continente > Centro > Oeste.)
  9. ^ "Resident population in statistical cities (No.) by Place of residence; Annual–2011". Instituto Nacional de Estatística (Statistics Portugal). 18 April 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2014. (Click "Change selection conditions" to choose Caldas da Rainha under Portugal > Continente > Centro > Oeste.)
  10. ^ "Population's density (No./ km2) by Place of residence (at the date of Census 2011) and Sex; Decennial–2011". Instituto Nacional de Estatística (Statistics Portugal). 16 February 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2014. (Click "Change selection conditions" to choose Caldas da Rainha under Portugal > Continente > Centro > Oeste.)
  11. ^ "INE - Censos 2011 Resultados Definitivos". Instituto Nacional de Estatística (Statistics Portugal). Retrieved 13 April 2014. (In the "Search for" drop-down menu, select "Lugar INE", enter "Caldas da Rainha", and click "Search".)
  12. ^ a b Assembleia da República (8 March 1996). "Decreto-Lei n.º 17/96" [Decree-Law No. 17/96] (PDF) (in Portuguese). Imprensa Nacional-Casa da Moeda, E. P. p. 469. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  13. ^ "Informação do Concelho" [Municipal Information] (in Portuguese). Município das Caldas da Rainha. Archived from the original on 2014-10-16. Retrieved 11 October 2014.


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