Soure (Portuguese pronunciation:[ˈsoɾɨ]ⓘ) is a town and municipality of the Coimbra District, in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 19,245,[1] in an area of 265.06 km².[2] It includes a castle listed as a national monument.
The village of Paleão, located a few kilometers from the village of Soure, is one of the largest clusters of houses in the municipality, where the old cotton and linen factory is located.
Parishes
Parishes of the Soure municipality
Administratively, the municipality is divided into 10 civil parishes (freguesias):[3]
Soure is one of the few territorially discontinuous municipalities in Portugal. The case of Soure is unique in the Portuguese context, as the discontinuity of the municipality is twofold[4] and is due to the territorial discontinuity of two of its parishes: Degracias and Pombalinho, and Figueiró do Campo.
Degracias and Pombalinho parish has a small exclave embedded between the municipalities of Penela (in the district of Coimbra) and Ansião (in the district of Leiria).
Figueiró do Campo parish has an even smaller exclave, sandwiched between two parishes in the municipality of Montemor-o-Velho, effectively creating a small enclave in this municipality in the district of Coimbra.
Note: The number of "resident" inhabitants is those who had their official residence in this municipality on the date the censuses were carried out. Source: [6]
According to data of National Institute of Statistics (INE), in 2021 the district of Coimbra recorded a population decrease of around 5.0% compared to the results of the 2011 census. In the municipality of Soure, the decrease was around 10.3%.
(Note: From 1900 to 1950, the data refer to the "de facto" population, that is, those who were present in the municipality at the time the censuses were carried out. Hence, there are some differences in relation to the designated resident population)
Transport
Railway
Linha do Norte (Northern Line) has four stations in the Soure municipality (from south to north):
Simoes
Soure
Vila Nova de Anços
Alfarelos (also known as Alfarelos - Granja do Ulmeiro[8])
According to 2023 data, Soure station is served by C.P. regional passenger trains, typically with eleven trains per day in the Coimbra direction and twelve in the Entroncamento direction.[9]
Alfarelos railway station, originally called Alfarellos,[10] is a railway station located in the parish of Granja do Ulmeiro. As a junction point for the Alfarelos branch on the Northern Line, it is an important station for rail service connections between Coimbra, Figueira da Foz, Porto, and Lisbon. As of 2023, Alfarelos is served by several types of C.P. passenger trains:
Commuter train on the Coimbra-Figueira service, typically with 16 trains per day in each direction, some with extended stops (4-8 min.) at this station;[11]
Regional train, between Coimbra and Lisbon - Santa Apolónia or Entroncamento, typically with 13 daily circulations in each direction.[11][12]
Inter-regional train, between Coimbra-B and Caldas da Rainha, typically with two trains per week in each direction.[11][12]
Montemor railway station, which is on the Alfarelos branch and nominally serves the town of Montemor-o-Velho (3.7 km away), is located in the Alfarelos parish.[13] It is served by Coimbra-Figueira commuter trains infrequently.
South facade of Soure station, in 2015
Tracks and platforms at Soure station, in 2015
Soure station building, as seen from the street, in 2015
Tracks and platforms at Alfarelos station, in 2017
Alfarelos station and the Granja do Ulmeiro village next to the station
Road
A1 motorway passes through Soure municipality and has one exit located southeast of the Paleão village.
Number of the exit
Km from Lisbon; Porto
Exit road
10A
169; 134
N 348
Religious sites
There are several Roman Catholic churches in the Soure municipality.
Church of Our Lady of Grace in Vinha da Rainha parish
The parish church of Samuel parish. The Church of Nossa Senhora da Purificação is also known for the image of the devil inside.
Chapel of Our Lady of Life in Granja do Ulmeiro parish
Portugal
