Guarda, Diocese of (GUARDA, DIOCESI DI) - Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. VI, p. 719

Machine translation of the 1948–1954 Italian original. The original text is authoritative.

GUARDA, DIOCESI di. - In Portugal, suffragan of Lisbona. The first historical reference is found in the acts of the Council of Lugo (569), and the first historically known bishop is Odorio, present at the Council of Braga (572).

The history of the diocese during the Arab invasion and until the transfer of the see from Idanha (Egitania) to G., authorized by Innocenzo III, is very obscure. It seems that the first bishops after the restoration, even before the transfer, lived in the small town of Penamacor.

The reason for the change of see was that Idanha was uninhabited at that time, and the king who founded G., Sancho I, wished to ensure for the new city an importance commensurate with its strategic value.

The Cathedral, which is the city’s most valuable artistic monument, was built between 1390 and 1540.

At present it has an area of 664 sq. km.; 424,512 inhabitants, almost all Catholics, distributed among 356 parishes, with 312 diocesan priests and 6 regulars; two seminaries, 2 male and 24 female religious communities (1949).

BIBL.: Eubel, III, p. 190; Silva Leal, Memorias para a historia eclesiastica do Bispado da G. e Catálogo dos Bispos de Idanha e G., in Coll. de Acad. Real de Hist., Madrid 1722; J. Gama e Castro, Diocese e distrito da D., Guarda 1905; F. De Almeida, Historia da Igreja em Portugal, Lisbona 1915; C. Oliviera, Apontamentos para a monografia da G., 1940; E. Pereira, A catedral da G. e o seu retábulo, 1940; Bigotte, O culto de N. S. na diocese da G., Guarda 1948; Gama Barros, Historia da Administração pública em Portugal, Lisbona, 2nd ed., in progress.

J. Silva Saraiva