About Póvoa de Lanhoso

Póvoa de Lanhoso is a town and municipality of Braga District in the Northwestern Portuguese region of Minho. The town of Póvoa de Lanhoso, the seat of the municipality, has about 12,000 inhabitants. The municipality has an area of 116.7 km². The municipality includes four civil parishes: * Lanhoso e São Cristóvão * Póvoa de Lanhoso e Sobrosa * Rio de Moinhos e Vale de Cambra * Vila Nova de Lanhoso The present mayor is António Lopes Borges, elected by the Socialist Party. The municipal holiday is September 29, in honour of Saint Michael. Póvoa de Lanhoso was one of the first places in Portugal to have a foral charter, issued by King Dinis of Portugal on April 26, 1297. In 1310, King Denis helped to liberate Póvoa de Lanhoso from Castilian hands. The municipality is home to the Soccer Academy of Lanhoso, a youth development academy affiliated with S.C. Braga, which has produced several professional footballers who have gone on to play for Braga and Portugal.