Arcos (Vila do Conde)
Encyclopedia
Arcos, which is a civil parish in the municipality of Vila do Conde, but near the north-eastern frontier with the municipality of Barcelos, it lives in the shadow of its larger municipal neighbour. In 2001, its population was 826 inhabitants in an area of 5.81 km² that crosses the Ave River
.
was discovered in the vicinity, but Moorish influences in the Iberian peninsula only occurred at the end of 711. During Roman occupation, any settlements would have occupied the cultivatable fields, causing the desertion of the castros: the Castro of Casais still presents vestiges of the castro culture and Roman artefacts. Other legends, refer to an ecclesiastical parish dedicated to Sant'Iago in Moldes, although no documented proof exists.
Its ex-libris the Roman-style bridge, actually dates back to the 12th century; in 1140, the bridge already existed, but historians point to an ancient bridge that crossed the Ave River. Medieval documents referred to it as the via vecteris (old road), alluding to its Roman history.
Since 1836, Arcos existed as a integral part of Vila do Conde.
During the 9th century (1078–1091) there is a reference to São Miguel de Arcos, in the ecclesiastical census in Braga
and Guimarães
. Yet, records from census administered by bishop
D. Pedro, in the Sé Cathedral in Braga, nor the 1220 inventory of Afonso II of Portugal
never refer to Arcos as an ecclesiastical parish, nor the basis of its existence.
Situated north of the Ave River, alongside the Este River, it is sheltered by the municipality of Póvoa de Varzim
, in the north-eastern parish of Vila do Conde. Yet, owing to its distance from the municipal seat, Póvoa de Varzim and Vila Nova de Famalicão
, it lives in the shadow of the much larger urban community of Barcelos.
The Roman-style Ponte d'Ave (later Ponte de São Miguel) that crosses the Ave River, travels north in the direction of Rates, and eventually to Santiago de Compostela
.
Ave River
Ave River is a river in Portugal. Vizela River flows into it....
.
History
Tradition suggests that in the parish toponymy developed from the location of a Moorish castle, on a mountain with the same in Casais, the siting of a Roman bridge near Monte da Reguenga or the an subterranean road that lead to the Este River, where horses were sent for watering. It is likely that a medieval castle existed in Argifonso, since structures and a castroCastro culture
Castro culture is the archaeological term for naming the Celtic archaeological culture of the northwestern regions of the Iberian Peninsula from the end of the Bronze Age until it was subsumed in local Roman culture...
was discovered in the vicinity, but Moorish influences in the Iberian peninsula only occurred at the end of 711. During Roman occupation, any settlements would have occupied the cultivatable fields, causing the desertion of the castros: the Castro of Casais still presents vestiges of the castro culture and Roman artefacts. Other legends, refer to an ecclesiastical parish dedicated to Sant'Iago in Moldes, although no documented proof exists.
Its ex-libris the Roman-style bridge, actually dates back to the 12th century; in 1140, the bridge already existed, but historians point to an ancient bridge that crossed the Ave River. Medieval documents referred to it as the via vecteris (old road), alluding to its Roman history.
Since 1836, Arcos existed as a integral part of Vila do Conde.
During the 9th century (1078–1091) there is a reference to São Miguel de Arcos, in the ecclesiastical census in 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...
and Guimarães
Guimarães
Guimarães Municipality is located in northwestern Portugal in the province of Minho and in the Braga District. It contains the city of Guimarães.The present Mayor is António Magalhães Silva, elected by the Socialist Party.-Parishes:-Economy:...
. Yet, records from census administered by bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
D. Pedro, in the Sé Cathedral in Braga, nor the 1220 inventory of Afonso II of Portugal
Afonso II of Portugal
Afonso II , or Affonso , Alfonso or Alphonso or Alphonsus , nicknamed "the Fat" , third king of Portugal, was born in Coimbra on 23 April 1185 and died on 25 March 1223 in the same city. He was the second but eldest surviving son of Sancho I of Portugal by his wife, Dulce, Infanta of Aragon...
never refer to Arcos as an ecclesiastical parish, nor the basis of its existence.
Geography
Situated north of the Ave River, alongside the Este River, it is sheltered by the municipality of Póvoa de Varzim
Póvoa de Varzim
Póvoa de Varzim is a Portuguese city in the Norte Region and sub-region of Greater Porto, with a 2011 estimated population of 63,364. According to the 2001 census, there were 63,470 inhabitants with 42,396 living in the city proper. The urban area expanded, southwards, to Vila do Conde, and there...
, in the north-eastern parish of Vila do Conde. Yet, owing to its distance from the municipal seat, Póvoa de Varzim and Vila Nova de Famalicão
Vila Nova de Famalicão
Vila Nova de Famalicão is a municipality in the district of Braga, in the north of Portugal. It is composed of 49 parishes.The municipality has a population of 131,690 inhabitants and a total area of 201.7....
, it lives in the shadow of the much larger urban community of Barcelos.
The Roman-style Ponte d'Ave (later Ponte de São Miguel) that crosses the Ave River, travels north in the direction of Rates, and eventually to Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain.The city's Cathedral is the destination today, as it has been throughout history, of the important 9th century medieval pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James...
.
Civic
- Bridge of São Miguel - Saint Michael's Bridge, along the regional EN306 roadway outside Arcos, the Medieval bridge is of a cantilever construction of graniteGraniteGranite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
with three archs dating back to the 12th century; the voussoirVoussoirA voussoir is a wedge-shaped element, typically a stone, used in building an arch or vault.Although each unit in an arch or vault is a voussoir, two units are of distinct functional importance: the keystone and the springer. The keystone is the center stone or masonry unit at the apex of an arch. A...
(arching bricks) are straight, extra-hard but irregular, with the central arch the largest of the construction. - Estate of Quinta de São Miguel de Arcos}})
Religious
- Chapel of Senhor dos Desamparados
- Church of São Miguel
Notable citizens
- José Maria Campos Trocado - responsible for contributing, in the area of Rego, a cross to mark the parishes Christianism, which was inaugurated in December 2009