evidence: Vila Real is a city of 52,000 people (2011) the Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro region in Northern Portugal. It is the home of the beautiful Palácio de Mateus. Vila Real (VEE-luh rree-AHL, /ˈvi.ɫɐ ʁi.ˈaɫ/) has 51,850 residents (2011), with 29,624 residing in the city proper. Sitting on a plateau at the confluence of the Corgo and Cabril rivers, the city is framed in a beautiful natural landscape (Escarpas do Corgo), with the backdrop of the mountains of Alvão and, further away, Marão. Over more than seven hundred years of existence, Vila Real has gained the contours it has today, a city of beautiful monuments, where the temples and noble houses stand out. It used to be known as the Corte de Trás-os-Montes, because the Marqueses of Vila Real lived in it and had a palace. This noble family had a close family connection with the Portuguese Royal House.