Melgaço, Portugal
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Template: Infobox city in Portugal / maintenance / management location is empty Template: Infobox city in Portugal / Maintenance / Web page is blank Melgaço is a small town ( Vila ) and a circle ( concelho ) in Northern Portugal in the Rio Minho, through here the border to Spain runs. In the city a population of about 1300 inhabitants, in the circle there are 9996 inhabitants (as of 2001).
History
Finds indicate a prehistoric settlement, such as the rock engravings Gravuras Rupestres do Fieiral and various excavations in Castro Laboreiro. The Romans left, inter alia, several bridges, also in Castro Laboreiro. The present town was built around the 1170 Melgaço built here castle, which was built by Portugal's first king D.Afonso Henriques before the place gave 1181 first town charter, the King D.Afonso II in 1219 renewed. D.Afonso III. had the place surrounded by a fortress wall. During the Revolution of 1383 came under Spanish rule Melgaço 1387 to be re- short later in the course of the consolidation of the rule of the new king of Portugal D.João I. Portuguese. Renewed in 1513 King Manuel I. municipal rights Melgaços.
Culture and sights
The circle of Melgaço lies partly in the Peneda -Gerês. Thematic walks are also created in the region, such as wine trails, paths along the Minho river, or the archaeological sites.
Among the monuments of the circle include historic public buildings, some manors, mills, stone fountains, and a variety of religious buildings. The historical centers of Castro Laboreiro and Melgaço itself as a whole are under monument protection. In particular, the center of Melgaço is determined by its medieval streets, churches and buildings. Other cultural starting points are the curious museum Espaço Memória e Fronteria (German: Area of memory and the border ), the history of smuggling in the border area devoted to, and the granite winery Solar do Alvarinho, offering wines of the Alvarinho grape for tasting. Also, archaeological museums and the film opened in 2005, Museu de Cinema de Melgaço - Jean Loup Passek be mentioned.
( See also: List of Cultural Monuments in the concelho Melgaço )
Management
The circle
Melgaço is the seat of the homonymous district. The neighboring districts are ( clockwise beginning in the north): Spain, Arcos de Valdevez and Monção.
The following parishes ( freguesias ) lying in circle Melgaço:
- Alvaredo
- Castro Laboreiro
- Chaviães
- Cousso
- Crist Oval
- Cubalhão
- Fiães
- Gave
- Lamas de Mouro
- Paços
- Paderne
- Parada do Monte
- Penso
- Prado
- Remoães
- Roussas
- São Paio
- Vila ( Melgaço )
Demographics
Local holiday
- Ascension of Christ
Twinning
Sons and daughters
- Jerônimo José Nogueira de Andrade († 1809), a colonial military in Brazil
- Eurico Silva (1900 - ), actor, director, dramaturge, well-known radio voice in Brazil of the 30s to 50s
- Adelino Pereira Joaquim Soares de Castro (* 1913), journalist, civil servant and an important ethnographer in Mozambique
- Pedro MR Ferreira (1915-1996), players and first president of the association of Jogo do pau, a stick fighting