Idanha-a-Velha
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Idanha -a- Velha is a comune ( freguesia ) in the Portuguese district of Idanha -a-Nova. 63 inhabitants living in it (as at 30 June 2011). The place is one of the twelve historic villages, aldeias Históricas.
History
The town was founded in the first century BC by the Romans as Civitas Igaeditanorum. Among the Suevi it was called Egitânia and 534 to the diocese. 14 years later, the place came to the Visigothic kingdom until it was conquered by the Arabs in 715. The place that now Exitânia and then Idania was called, was the administrative seat of the Moors and was located on the route from Merida to Guarda. During the Reconquista Idanha was conquered several times before Portugal's first king, D.Afonso Henriques conquered the place in 1165 and Gualdim Pais handed. One condition was the establishment of two new castles to defend the bishop's Egitania that filled Pais with the foundation of Monsanto and Idanha -a-Nova. Since 1199 Idanha was no longer a bishop's seat, and then became part of the Diocese of Guarda.
1229 received Idanha city rights ( Foral ) by King Sancho II. After another Arab invasion and destruction in 1240, the town was handed over to the Knights Templar and repopulated. Renewed in 1510 King Manuel I, the city Idanhas rights, and the cathedral was expanded and rebuilt. The village of Idanha -a-Nova was founded in 1187 near (German: New Idanha ) became increasingly important during the now Idanha -a-Velha (English: Old Idanha ) called place of residents lost. Until 1758 he held, with progressive loss of meaning, the status of a Cidade (City ) to the 19th century to lose the status of a Vila ( town ). 1819 Idanha -a- Velha Alcafozes was assigned, and since 1935 belongs to the circle of Idanha -a-Nova.
Which began in the 1950s, archaeological work was stopped again in the 1970s. The literature, José Saramago regretted in 1981 upon his return, in the book Viagem a Portugal (English: Journey to Portugal, German Title: Journey to Portugal ) travel described the poor state of many historic buildings and their remains in place.
In 1994, the place to be conveyed as Aldeia Histórica (German: historical village) was recognized. It is part of aldeias Históricas de Portugal, a government initiative to preserve historic villages of the region. Since then, coming from the different eras buildings have been restored, and the site underwent further associated with the program funding.
Culture and sights
Im also listed building Lagar the Varas from the 19th century, in which the plants were olive oil press, tourist information and an ethnographic museum is housed.
Various thematically organized hiking trails run through the municipality. Some old buildings are operated as Inns of rural tourism. In the public oven of the village traditional bread is baked.
Apart from religious festivals and occasional medieval markets and fixed place in the environment of the place every year in August, the Boom Festival. The climate- neutral to the festival offers music performances, workshops, exhibitions, installations, among others It was taken initiative by the Environment Programme of the United Nations in his Project United Nations Music & Environmental.