| Type: | municipality |
| Image Location: | LocalPesoDaRegua.svg |
| Region: | Norte |
| Cim: | Douro |
| District: | Vila Real |
| Parishes: | 8 |
| Leader Name: | José Manuel Gonçalves |
| Leader Party: | PSD |
| Coordinates: | 41.1653°N -7.7764°W |
| Elevation: | 255 |
| Area Total: | 94.86 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Total: | 17,131 |
| Postal Code: | 5054 |
| Area Code: | 254 |
Regua leads here. For American major general, see Eldon ReguaPeso da Régua (pronounced as /pt/), commonly known as Régua, is a city and municipality in northern Portugal, in the district of Vila Real. The population in 2011 was 17,131[1] (of which approximately 10,000 are in the town of Régua), in an area of 94.86km² km².[2]
Historians have suggested that Peso da Régua was inhabited during the Roman, Suebi and Visigothic periods. There are competing theories over where the toponym "Peso da Régua" could have originated: Vila Reggula, the name of a Roman country estate; récua, a word for livestock, which may have crossed the Douro at this location; or reguengo a designation for lands that were owned by the crown. Peso da Régua could also have originated from the word regra (en|rule), alluding to the hereditary rights of descendants achieved through forals. This theory is based on the donation of lands by Counts Henrique and Hugo in 1093, which were transferred to Egas Moniz. It is possible that this rule gave origin to the word Régoa, and later Régua. In regards to the word, Peso (en|Weight), there are two hypothesis on its origin: the location being where goods were weighted and taxed; or the place where animals were fed (pt|pensado), Penso[3]
Peso de Régua received its foral from King Sancho I, who conferred on the locality of Godim the municipal charter.[3]
On 3 February 1837, Peso da Régua was elevated to the status of vila (en|town), which included the annexed municipality of Godim, the civil parishes of Godim, Loureiro, Fontelas, Moura Morta and Sedielos.[3]
Its important role as municipality only achieved its zenith in 1836, after the Marquess of Pombal designated the Douro wine region, as a quality brand for export.[3] This was helped through the creation of Companhia Geral das Vinhas do Alto Douro, in 1756, which delimited the vineyards of the Douro Valley by granite markers (pt|Marcos de Feitora) to regulate the vineyards and wines produced. After this point, through commercialization and centralization, Régoa began to become the centre of the region.[3]
On 31 December 1859, due to the extinction of the municipality of Canelas, the parishes of Poiares, Covelinhas, Vilarinho de Freires and Galafura were added to the municipality.[3]
On 11 December 1933, the parish of Vinhos was created from the de-annexed region of Sedielos, resulting in a municipality of eleven parishes threaded along the Douro.[3]
Within the integration of Canelas, in 1976, the municipality grew to twelve.[3]
Peso da Régua became a city on 14 August 1985.[3]
In 1988, the Office Internacional de la Vigne et du Vin recognized the municipality as the Cidade Internacional da Vinha e do Vinho (en|International City of Vine and Wine).[3]
Peso da Régua as a Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa) with hot, dry summers and cool to mild, wet winters. The average annual temperature is 22C during the day and 10C at night.
Administratively, the municipality is divided into 8 civil parishes (freguesias):[4]
It cannot be expressed how important Port Wine helped to catapult the fortunes of Peso da Régua:Tourist boats ply the river from this point carrying tourists through the locks of two dams to Régua. The town is also connected to Porto by train; the Douro railway line runs along the banks of the Douro. Until its closure in 2009, the narrow gauge railway of the Corgo line also served the town.