![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Centro_Geod%25C3%25A9sico_de_Portugal_Continental_-_Vila_de_Rei_-_Portugal_%252817029558812%2529.jpg/640px-Centro_Geod%25C3%25A9sico_de_Portugal_Continental_-_Vila_de_Rei_-_Portugal_%252817029558812%2529.jpg&w=640&q=50)
Picoto da Melriça
Monument at the geodesic centre of Portugal / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Picoto da Melriça is a monument and the geodesic centre of mainland Portugal. Constructed in 1802, the triangulation station sits on top of the Serra da Melriça, a 592 m (1,942 ft) high mountain range in the municipality of Vila de Rei, offering a 360° view of its surroundings. Despite being the geodesic centre, it is not the geometric centre of mainland Portugal, which is located in the neighboring Mação.[1][2][3]
![]() The monument | |
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39°41′40″N 8°07′50″W | |
Width | 3 m2 (32 sq ft)[1] |
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Height | 9 m (30 ft)[1] |
Beginning date | 1802[1] |
Predating the construction of the monument, Francisco António Ciera, a mathematician and cartographer was commanded by Maria I of Portugal to create a triangulation of the Kingdom of Portugal, a job he delegated from 1788 to 1803. The construction of the station took place in 1802.[1]
A museum (Museu da Geodesia) was created in 2002 next to the monument.[4]