São Pedro da Torre
Encyclopedia
São Pedro da Torre is a Portuguese
civil “parish” (freguesia
), located in the municipality of Valença
. It has a population of 1,232 inhabitants in 2001 and a total area of 4.29 km².
its lands have great agriculture value and that was one of the reasons for the origin of the settlement.
The ancient Roman road
per loca maritima, that came from Braga
to Vigo
, had its end in Portuguese territory there. This can be testified by the existence of two roman bridges. Also the Roman milestone placed in Chamosinhos, dedicated to the son of Constantini Maximi has an added value to ensure this fact. The present existence of thermal fountain and that inscription suggests the way station Aquis Celenis mentioned in the Itinerary XXI of Antonine
was placed in here.
S. Pedro da Torre was founded in 1125 and later a strategic place during the restoration war against Castile
. The Castilians built here a fortress in 1657, whose remains can still be observed. Several symbols of the resistance of the people of this parish can be found throughout.
On December 14, 1900, the place of Chamosinhos, belonging to the parish of Vila Meã, was included in the parish of S. Pedro da Torre.
Many of the inhabitants of this small village went to work abroad during the 1970s searching for a better life, mostly to USA, Canada
and France
. Many of them returned and built wealthy houses ("villas") that presently give the parish a new look.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
civil “parish” (freguesia
Freguesia
Freguesia is the Portuguese term for a secondary local administrative unit in Portugal and some of its former colonies, and a former secondary local administrative unit in Macau, roughly equivalent to an administrative parish. A freguesia is a subdivision of a concelho, the Portuguese synonym term...
), located in the municipality of Valença
Valença, Portugal
Valença is a city in Valença Municipality, Portugal. It is a half-castle and half-land city. Bordering Galicia, Valença is also a famous Portuguese landmark to view an ancient castle town. These two parts of this city are not separated from each other and is also near to Viana Do Castelo....
. It has a population of 1,232 inhabitants in 2001 and a total area of 4.29 km².
History
Due to the privileged location on the left side of Minho RiverMinho River
The Minho or Miño is the longest river in Galicia, Spain, with an extension of 340 km.Both names come from Latin Minius...
its lands have great agriculture value and that was one of the reasons for the origin of the settlement.
The ancient Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
per loca maritima, that came from Braga
Braga
Braga , a city in the Braga Municipality in northwestern Portugal, is the capital of the Braga District, the oldest archdiocese and the third major city of the country. Braga is the oldest Portuguese city and one of the oldest Christian cities in the World...
to Vigo
Vigo
Vigo is a city and municipality in north-west Spain, in Galicia, situated on the ria of the same name on the Atlantic Ocean.-Population:...
, had its end in Portuguese territory there. This can be testified by the existence of two roman bridges. Also the Roman milestone placed in Chamosinhos, dedicated to the son of Constantini Maximi has an added value to ensure this fact. The present existence of thermal fountain and that inscription suggests the way station Aquis Celenis mentioned in the Itinerary XXI of Antonine
Antonine Itinerary
The Antonine Itinerary is a register of the stations and distances along the various roads of the Roman empire, containing directions how to get from one Roman settlement to another...
was placed in here.
S. Pedro da Torre was founded in 1125 and later a strategic place during the restoration war against Castile
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
. The Castilians built here a fortress in 1657, whose remains can still be observed. Several symbols of the resistance of the people of this parish can be found throughout.
On December 14, 1900, the place of Chamosinhos, belonging to the parish of Vila Meã, was included in the parish of S. Pedro da Torre.
Many of the inhabitants of this small village went to work abroad during the 1970s searching for a better life, mostly to USA, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Many of them returned and built wealthy houses ("villas") that presently give the parish a new look.