VISEU

distrito (district) northern Portugal. Framed by the Caramulo, Arada, and Montemuro mountains in the west, the district is drained by the upper basin of the Mondego and Vouga rivers. It is densely populated in the more humid western plateaus, with impressive flights of cultivated terraces on the deep valley slopes, which produce chiefly corn (maize), cabbage, grapes, and sheep. The chief town is Viseu, which is the district capital. There are uranium and tin deposits in the region. Area 1,933 square miles (5,007 square km). Pop. (1990 est.) 419,400. town, capital, and concelho (township), Viseu distrito (district), northern Portugal, southeast of Porto. The town's notable landmarks include the Romanesque and Gothic cathedral (12th and 16th centuries) and the Gro-Vasco Museum, which is dedicated to the works of a 16th-century school of painting headquartered in Viseu. Nearby are the ancient city of Vaca and the Cava de Viriato, a Roman military colony founded in the 2nd century BC. The locality is famous for its wine (called Do) and annual agricultural fair. Local handicrafts include black pottery, bobbin lace, embroidery, and copper and wrought iron articles. Pop. (1981) town, 21,454; (1987 est.) concelho, 83,500.