Portalegre

Suffragan diocese of Lisbon, Portugal, established by Pope Julius III in 1550. Its first bishop was Julian d’Alva, a Spaniards, who was transferred to Miranda in 1557. On 17 July, 1560, Andiz’ de Noronha succeeded to the diocese, but he was promoted to Placencia in 1581. Frei Amador Arraes, the next bishop, was the author of a celebrated book of “Dialogues”; he resigned in 1582, and retired to the college of his order in Coimbra, where he remained till his death. Lopo Soares de Albergaria and Frei Manoel de Gouveia died before receiving the Bulls confirming their nomination. Diego Conra, nephew of the Venerable Bartholomew of the Martyrs and Bishop of Ceuta, became bishop in 1598, and died on 9 October, 1614. Among the bishops of Portalegre during the seventeenth century was Ricardo Russell, an Englishman, who took possession of the see on 17 September, 1671, and was subsequently transferred to Vizeu. The present bishop is Antonio Mutinho, transferred from Caboverde in 1909. The diocese contains 197,343 Catholics, 16 Protestants, 148 parishes, 286 priests, 447 churches and chapels.