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Guarda is a city located in Guarda Municipality, Portugal, Beira Interior Norte sub-region in Centro Region in Portugal. The city is 320 km north east of the Capital city of Lisbon and is 180 km south east of Porto. The city of Guarda is built on a granite hill located to the northeast of Serra da Estrela (the largest mountain in mainland Portugal). It is the highest city in continental Portugal at an altitude 1,056 m above sea level. The city’s name means Protector and is in recognition that this city was once the fortress stronghold for the province of Beira Alte and the area around the city is dotted with many medieval castles and fortresses to guard the border with Spain.

Population
In the last census of 2008 the population of the city and district of Guarda was with 42,541. Within the city of Guarda the poulation is 26,400

Location
Guarda is the largest city in its district, capital of the Guarda District and the Beira Interior Norte Subregion within the Centro region. It is served by major highways and an international train station. The region is bordered by Pinhel to the north, to the east by Almeida, to the southeast by Sabugal, to the south by Belmonte and Covilhã, to the west by Manteigas and Gouveia, and to the northwest by Celorico da Beira.

Road Links
The main motorways are A25 {Aveiro, Viséu, Guarda, Vilar Formoso} and A23 (Guarda, Covilhã, Fundão, Castelo Branco, Abrantes, Torres Novas). Numerous motorcoach (long distance bus) services use these motorways to link Guarda with Porto, Lisbon and other Portuguese cities.

Railway infrastructure
Guarda (Gare) is served by the railway line, the Linha da Beira Alta, (international to Vilar Formoso/Fuentes de Onoro & domestic) {Linha da Beira Alta serves the following main cities and towns: Vilar Formoso, Guarda, Pinhel, Vila Franca das Naves/Trancoso, Celorico da Beira, Gouveia, Nelas, Carregal do Sal, Santa Comba Dão, Mortagua, Luso/Buçaco and Pampilhosa. The station at Guarda has (2013) eighteen daily arrivals and departures of passenger trains and there is a small freight terminal. The section of the Linha da Beira Baixa, which ran from Guarda through Belmonte/Sabugal, Covilhã, Fundão, Castelo Branco and Abrantes to Entroncamento} (domestic) was closed in 2010 between Guarda and Covilhã. The track is now partially lifted, thus making it unusable.

Early History
The first inhabitants of the area around Guarda included the tribal people called the Igaeditani, Lancienses, Oppidani, and Transcudani. With the threat and eventually occupation by the Romans, these Lusitanian's (or Lusitani in Latin) tribes formed an alliance and for two centuries tried to resist Romanization of the area. The local tribesman's weapon of choice was the single-edged bladed sword called the Falcata, the blade of which pitches forward towards the point. This formidable weapon was thought to be superior due to it's metallurgical supremacy to the Roman swords, which broke when engaged in combat against the Falcata. The Lusitanian's of this area had there own set of pagan Deities which differed from the Roman Gods the conquers tried to introduce to the population. Examples of these Lusitanian pagan inscriptions can still be found on religious shrines at Cabeço of Fráguas. Guarda eventually became part of the Roman province of Lusitania (Which included most of modern Portugal, Extremadura and a small part of the province of Salamanca). They population spoke the Lusitanian language, an Indo-European language which has been identified as a form of Italic but might have been influenced by Celtic.

Sancho I, The Populator
The city of Guarda was founded in 1197, and as the name suggests, to guard the new country of Portugal against there Spanish neighbours and the Moors. The Construction of the city was initiated by the second king of Portugal, Sancho I. King Sancho I had dedicated much of his reign to political and administrative organization of the new kingdom of Portugal. During his reign the new country had accumulated a national treasure which he had achived by his supported new industries and the middle class of merchants. As a result of this new affluence Sancho, who was nicknamed "the Populator", set about creating several new towns and villages. These new settlements where built to populate and promote a Christian presence in the northern regions of the fledgling Portugal. Guarda was one of these new towns and its castle and fortifications were constructed in 1199

The city of the four F's
The city become known as the city of the four F's. These four monikers stood for Fria, Farta, Forte and Feia which translated to English, have the meanings of cold, well-supplied, strong and ugly.

Fria, the first F, refers to the climate of the city, elevation and proximity to the Serra da Estrela. The second F refers to Guarda's granting of a fair in 1255 where trading began in the local commodities of livestock, grain, wine, linseed and iron. To insure the success of the fairs and markets in the town, traders were protected by exemptions from civil or criminal liability for 30 days from transaction made in the city. Forte or strength refers to the city walls and castle and it strategic position close to the Spanish boarder. The last F for Feia or Ugly refers to the gargoyles which can be seen on the eastern side of the city's cathedral roof which point menacingly towards the Spanish border.

The combat of Guarda 1811
Following the failed third French campaign to invade Portugal during the Peninsular War (1807–1814), André Masséna, the military commander of the French, was on the retreat out of the country. His army had arrived to the relative safety of the town of Celorico. Here the French commander decided on a change of tactic, and instead of retreating to Ciudad Rodrigo his army turned south with the intention of reaching the river Tagus valley. It soon became clear to the French that this plan was impractical and on the 29 March 1811 the plan was changed and the French army was now to move towards the town of Sabugal in the Coa valley. General Louis Henri Loison’s 6th Corps formed the French rearguard, and on 29 March had been ordered by Masséna to hold the strong positions around the town of Guarda. Loison was familiar with the city having previously being in command of a force in July 1808 which had sacked and burnt down parts of the city because of local insurgent ambushes in the area. On that occasion his troops left such a path of destruction in Guarda that Loison became feared and hated in Portugal as Maneta or One-Hand. Wellington, being unshore of the French intentions assumed that the French were retreating towards Sabugal and on to Spain. When he was made aware of Loison’s 6th Corps encampment at Guarda he decided to act fast and move Loison and his troops on. After several days three Divisions arrived in the area and on the 29 March, Wellington ordered three of Britain's very best commanders into action. The Light Division under the command of Major-General Robert Craufurd was to attack from the north, Alexander Campbell’s 6th Division from the north west and Thomas Picton’s division from the west. Wellington also planned to protect this offensive plan with a strong cavalry screen. Loison would prove to be incapable of performing an adequate rearguard action and Wellington's plan caught him entirely by surprise. One of his divisions had already moved off the city heights and Craufurd's Light Division appeared to threaten his line of retreat. Seeing this, Loison ordered his troops to evacuate their positions, and to retreat to south east towards the Rio Côa valley. Loison's retreat was carried out at such high speed that the British infantry were unable to catch up with them and the faster cavalry were only able to capture some 300 French prisoners. Following the Combat of Guarda as the skirmish became known, Wellington used Guarda as an important base for the defending forces of the Spanish/Portuguese border zone in the north.