The region shows traces of inhabitation during the
Paleolithic era, while the settlement of Panóias and the
Panóias Sanctuary had a
Roman presence. However, with the
barbaric and
Muslim invasions there was a gradual depopulation. At the end of the 11th century, in 1096,
Henry, Count of Portugal wrote a
foral, a royal document whose purpose was to establish and regulate a town, establishing
Constantim de Panóias as a way to repopulate the region. In 1272, as a new incentive to repopulation, King
Afonso III of Portugal wrote another unsuccessful
foral to establish
Vila Real de Panóias. Only in 1289, the third
foral written by King
Denis of Portugal was successful in establishing
Vila Real de Panóias, whose name, meaning
Royal Town, is a testimony to its origin by royal decree. Vila Real's privileged location at the crossroad between the
Porto-
Bragança and
Viseu-
Chaves roads allowed for a sustained growth over the centuries. Starting from the 17th century, the
House of Vila Real attracted the nobility to an extent that during that time the city housed more members of the royal family than any other settlement in
Portugal except the capital in
Lisbon, and family
coats of arms remain above old houses and manors, some of which are still occupied by those families. Vineyards were introduced to the municipality in 1764, growing red, white and
rosé wines for export. Despite its royal presence, Vila Real remained with the status of town until the increase in population in the 19th century, which led to it gaining the status of capital of the
Vila Real District and the historic province of
Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro. The
Roman Catholic Diocese of Vila Real was created in 1922 from the
dioceses of
Bragança-Miranda,
Braga and
Lamego and Vila Real finally gained city status under the
Portuguese Republic in 1925. It was the fourth Portuguese city to have public supply of
electricity, but it was the first to produce
hydroelectric power, from 1894 to 1926 in the Hydroelectric Power Plant of Biel, located near the
Corgo River, named after
Karl Emil Biel. The city experienced a great development with the establishment of the
University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro in 1986, succeeding the
Polytechnic Institute of Vila Real created in 1973, contributing to an increase and revitalization of the population. In 2017 there were 6 651 students enrolled in
higher education. In the last couple of years, several cultural facilities were built, such as the Vila Real Theater, the Vila Velha Museum, the Sound and Image Museum, the Regional Conservatory of Music and the transfer of the Dr. Júlio Teixeira Public Library and Municipal Archive to new buildings, bringing some dynamism and progress to the city. Various areas of the city have also been rehabilitated, such as the
Centro Histórico, the Vila Velha and traditional typical neighbourhoods like Bairro dos Ferreiros and Bairro S. Vicente de Paulo. The area surrounding the
Corgo River has also been rehabilitated, becoming the Corgo Park, the Forest Park and the Codessais Recreational Complex, including cultural components as the Vila Real Science Center and the Urban Ecology Agency. Nowadays the city experiences a phase of growing industrial and commercial development, aimed at health, education and tourism, presenting itself as an attractive place for foreign investment, being internationally known by the
Circuito Internacional de Vila Real, the street circuit used for the
FIA WTCR Race of Portugal, one of the events of the
World Touring Car Cup. ==Coat of arms==