Mesão Frio
Encyclopedia
Mesão Frio is a municipality in Portugal
with a total area of 26.7 km² and a total population of 4,652 inhabitants, composed of seven parishes in the district of Vila Real.
in the area around Cidadelhe (from excavations encountered in this location).
The early nucleu of the modern Mesão Frio was founded near the Church of São Nicolau, which was erected on the instruction of Queen Maud of Savoy
, Afonso Henriques' wife.
Mesão Frio was an early shelter on the Roman roadway; it was initially a respet, successively serving travellers, stabling horses and providing fresh animals, the settlement itself evolving approximately in the 3rd century, from the Latin “mansionis frigidae”.
Even before the establishment of a Kingdom of Portugal
the territory was occupied by Subei, Visigoths and Arabs, and for a time were the lands of Penaguião, extending between the Douro and Corgo Rivers, the sierra of Marão and the lands of Panóias (Vila Real). The first medieval references to Mesão Frio appeared in the correspondence of Henrique, Count of Portugal, where it was called “Meijon-Frio”. Its name evolved over centuries with the Portuguese language taking on variations that included: Meijon Frio, Meijó Frio, Mey Johan Frio, Meyon Frio, Meyão Frio and Mezam Frio, until reaching its current variation.
At one time there was a legend that the toponymy was attributed to Esteves Gracia Monzon Friwn, who in 942 (during the reign of Ramiro II of León
) entered along the Douro River with French knights whom took lands and rechristened them. This origin story was supported by the existence of six tombs within the Church of São Nicolau. The funerary monument was sculpted with the coat of arms of French knights, at a time when French knights crossed the territory during the Reconquista
(718-1492).
The first foral
was allocated by Afonso Henriques in February 1152, and later confirmed by Afonso II
on 15 October 1217, while the King was Trancoso. Three days before St. Andrew's Day
in 1513, King Manuel I of Portugal
renovated the foral (a copy of which is located in the municipal archive).
At one time this place was the residence for masons who constructed the bridge erected in Barqueiros
(by Queen Maud whose husband had left 3000 Maravedi
in his testament for the same).
During this medieval period the settlement was actually divided in two, each with its own master mason, judge and officials (this division actually physically existed until about 1948). Mesão Frio, during the reign of Manuel I, already included the settlements of Cidadelhe and Vila Marim, in addition to the original parishes of São Nicolau and Santa Cristina, as well as a parcel of the Vila Jusã that included the village called Meigõ frio de Jusão, alongside the ecclesiastical parish of Meigõ Frio de Susão. The settlements of Barqueiros
, Oliveira and Vila Jusã were annexed much later; Barqueiros, a municipality at the time, and the colonies of Oliveira and Vila Jusã, which belonged to Penaguião, were joined to the municipality of Mesão Frio on 6 November 1836.
With the export of wine during the 17th and 18th century, vineyards began to extend along the Douro River valley bringing a mature level of economic growth. But, the temptation of easy money caused many producers to alter the quality of Douro wines, resulting in poorer quality wines, and a fall in exports. In order to remedy this situation the Marquess of Pombal
created the "Zona de Produção de Vinhos Generosos do Douro" to designate the region as a producer of elevated quality wines, and eliminate poorer quality producers.
Troops of French General Loison were responsible for fires and destruction in the region in 1808.
From the “Estudos de Caracterização do Território Municipal do PDM”, the municipality is identified by three geological areas: one associated with the Douro region, another that includes the sierra of Marão and farther east, an area of granite that extends to the west of the municipality. The ancient deposition of sedimentary layers that were later transformed resulting in a dominant formation of pre-Cambrian and Cambrian sediments. It was these structures that developed into the metamorphic rocks of the Douro Group, consisting of schist
s and greywacke
s. The schists, which include layers of faulted rocks (formations created during the Ordovician
-Silurian
periods) consist of an inferior layer of conglomerate
Ordovician sediments of schists and metamorphic greywackes, as well as a layer of quartzite and schists with magnetic layering.
In the area of Barqueiros there are derivative metamorphic rocks (clay
s, chiastolitic
and interspersed schists) which resulted from granitic intrusions in the past. These granites pertain to the larger granitic region, consisting of granite or silicate cliffs with crystals of feldspar
of a medium to fine quality.< Sedimentary formations, refer to primarily the modern deposits along the margins of the Douro, creating terraces, sands and other alluvial deposits.
The region is bisected by a fault that cuts the municipality along a northwest by southeast alignment, in addition to a direction north-northeast by south-southeast.
The regions relief is primarily motivated by the Serra do Marão which is subdivided by the Douro River valley, forming linear hilltops where many of the principal settlements exist. Many of the watersheds are drained by tributaries of the Douro that have, although a low intensity flow, carved out deep valleys (suchas as the Teixeira and Semenha River). Monte de São Silvestre, in the parish of Vila Jusã, is the highest point in the municipality (located at 531 metres above sea level), while the lowest point is in the Porto de Rei, in Barqueiros (50 metre above the river).
Although the primary level of government is the municipal authority, the local administration is operated by civil parish boards operating in the constituent parishes:
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...
with a total area of 26.7 km² and a total population of 4,652 inhabitants, composed of seven parishes in the district of Vila Real.
History
The occupation of the territory of Mesão Frio dates back to the Romans, who occupied 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...
in the area around Cidadelhe (from excavations encountered in this location).
The early nucleu of the modern Mesão Frio was founded near the Church of São Nicolau, which was erected on the instruction of Queen Maud of Savoy
Maud of Savoy
Maud of Savoy was the first Queen of Portugal. She was Queen consort through her marriage, in 1146, to King Afonso I, the first ruler of Portugal as an independent kingdom....
, Afonso Henriques' wife.
Mesão Frio was an early shelter on the Roman roadway; it was initially a respet, successively serving travellers, stabling horses and providing fresh animals, the settlement itself evolving approximately in the 3rd century, from the Latin “mansionis frigidae”.
Even before the establishment of a Kingdom of Portugal
Kingdom of Portugal
The Kingdom of Portugal was Portugal's general designation under the monarchy. The kingdom was located in the west of the Iberian Peninsula, Europe and existed from 1139 to 1910...
the territory was occupied by Subei, Visigoths and Arabs, and for a time were the lands of Penaguião, extending between the Douro and Corgo Rivers, the sierra of Marão and the lands of Panóias (Vila Real). The first medieval references to Mesão Frio appeared in the correspondence of Henrique, Count of Portugal, where it was called “Meijon-Frio”. Its name evolved over centuries with the Portuguese language taking on variations that included: Meijon Frio, Meijó Frio, Mey Johan Frio, Meyon Frio, Meyão Frio and Mezam Frio, until reaching its current variation.
At one time there was a legend that the toponymy was attributed to Esteves Gracia Monzon Friwn, who in 942 (during the reign of Ramiro II of León
Ramiro II of León
Ramiro II , son of Ordoño II, was King of León from 931 until his death. Initially titular king only of a lesser part of Asturias, he gained the crown of León after his brother Alfonso IV abdicated in 931...
) entered along the Douro River with French knights whom took lands and rechristened them. This origin story was supported by the existence of six tombs within the Church of São Nicolau. The funerary monument was sculpted with the coat of arms of French knights, at a time when French knights crossed the territory during the Reconquista
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
(718-1492).
The first foral
Foral
thumb|left|200px|Foral of Castro Verde - PortugalThe word foral derives from the Portuguese word foro, ultimately from Latin forum, equivalent to Spanish fuero, Galician foro, Catalan furs and Basque foru ....
was allocated by Afonso Henriques in February 1152, and later confirmed by Afonso II
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...
on 15 October 1217, while the King was Trancoso. Three days before St. Andrew's Day
St. Andrew's Day
St Andrew's Day is the feast day of Saint Andrew. It is celebrated on 30 November.Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, and St Andrew's Day is Scotland's official national day...
in 1513, King Manuel I of Portugal
Manuel I of Portugal
Manuel I , the Fortunate , 14th king of Portugal and the Algarves was the son of Infante Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu, , by his wife, Infanta Beatrice of Portugal...
renovated the foral (a copy of which is located in the municipal archive).
At one time this place was the residence for masons who constructed the bridge erected in Barqueiros
Barqueiros
Barqueiros is a Portuguese parish, located in the municipality of Barcelos. It has a population of 2,033 inhabitants and a total area of 8.54 km²....
(by Queen Maud whose husband had left 3000 Maravedi
Spanish maravedí
The maravedí was the name of various Iberian coins of gold and then silver between the 11th and 14th centuries and the name of different Iberian accounting units between the 11th and 19th centuries.-Etymology:...
in his testament for the same).
During this medieval period the settlement was actually divided in two, each with its own master mason, judge and officials (this division actually physically existed until about 1948). Mesão Frio, during the reign of Manuel I, already included the settlements of Cidadelhe and Vila Marim, in addition to the original parishes of São Nicolau and Santa Cristina, as well as a parcel of the Vila Jusã that included the village called Meigõ frio de Jusão, alongside the ecclesiastical parish of Meigõ Frio de Susão. The settlements of Barqueiros
Barqueiros
Barqueiros is a Portuguese parish, located in the municipality of Barcelos. It has a population of 2,033 inhabitants and a total area of 8.54 km²....
, Oliveira and Vila Jusã were annexed much later; Barqueiros, a municipality at the time, and the colonies of Oliveira and Vila Jusã, which belonged to Penaguião, were joined to the municipality of Mesão Frio on 6 November 1836.
With the export of wine during the 17th and 18th century, vineyards began to extend along the Douro River valley bringing a mature level of economic growth. But, the temptation of easy money caused many producers to alter the quality of Douro wines, resulting in poorer quality wines, and a fall in exports. In order to remedy this situation the Marquess of Pombal
Marquess of Pombal
Count of Oeiras was a Portuguese title of nobility created by a royal decree, dated from July 15, 1759, by King Joseph I of Portugal, and granted to Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, Head of the Portuguese Government....
created the "Zona de Produção de Vinhos Generosos do Douro" to designate the region as a producer of elevated quality wines, and eliminate poorer quality producers.
Troops of French General Loison were responsible for fires and destruction in the region in 1808.
Physical geography
Mesão Frio, is located 85 kilometres from Porto, 39 kilometres from Vila Real (the district capital) and 12 kilometres from Peso da Régua (its closest neighbour). It is limited in the north and east by the municipality of Peso da Régua, south by Resende and Lamego (along their Douro River frontier) and in the west by the municipality of Baião, in the district of Porto.From the “Estudos de Caracterização do Território Municipal do PDM”, the municipality is identified by three geological areas: one associated with the Douro region, another that includes the sierra of Marão and farther east, an area of granite that extends to the west of the municipality. The ancient deposition of sedimentary layers that were later transformed resulting in a dominant formation of pre-Cambrian and Cambrian sediments. It was these structures that developed into the metamorphic rocks of the Douro Group, consisting of schist
Schist
The schists constitute a group of medium-grade metamorphic rocks, chiefly notable for the preponderance of lamellar minerals such as micas, chlorite, talc, hornblende, graphite, and others. Quartz often occurs in drawn-out grains to such an extent that a particular form called quartz schist is...
s and greywacke
Greywacke
Greywacke or Graywacke is a variety of sandstone generally characterized by its hardness, dark color, and poorly sorted angular grains of quartz, feldspar, and small rock fragments or lithic fragments set in a compact, clay-fine matrix. It is a texturally immature sedimentary rock generally found...
s. The schists, which include layers of faulted rocks (formations created during the Ordovician
Ordovician
The Ordovician is a geologic period and system, the second of six of the Paleozoic Era, and covers the time between 488.3±1.7 to 443.7±1.5 million years ago . It follows the Cambrian Period and is followed by the Silurian Period...
-Silurian
Silurian
The Silurian is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Ordovician Period, about 443.7 ± 1.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Devonian Period, about 416.0 ± 2.8 Mya . As with other geologic periods, the rock beds that define the period's start and end are well identified, but the...
periods) consist of an inferior layer of conglomerate
Conglomerate (geology)
A conglomerate is a rock consisting of individual clasts within a finer-grained matrix that have become cemented together. Conglomerates are sedimentary rocks consisting of rounded fragments and are thus differentiated from breccias, which consist of angular clasts...
Ordovician sediments of schists and metamorphic greywackes, as well as a layer of quartzite and schists with magnetic layering.
In the area of Barqueiros there are derivative metamorphic rocks (clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
s, chiastolitic
Chiastolite
The mineral chiastolite is a variety of andalusite with the chemical composition Al2SiO5. It is noted for distinctive cross-shaped black inclusions of graphite. In areas around Georgetown, California, metamorphosed sediments contained andalusite and chiastolite in a graphite rich metasediment...
and interspersed schists) which resulted from granitic intrusions in the past. These granites pertain to the larger granitic region, consisting of granite or silicate cliffs with crystals of feldspar
Feldspar
Feldspars are a group of rock-forming tectosilicate minerals which make up as much as 60% of the Earth's crust....
of a medium to fine quality.< Sedimentary formations, refer to primarily the modern deposits along the margins of the Douro, creating terraces, sands and other alluvial deposits.
The region is bisected by a fault that cuts the municipality along a northwest by southeast alignment, in addition to a direction north-northeast by south-southeast.
The regions relief is primarily motivated by the Serra do Marão which is subdivided by the Douro River valley, forming linear hilltops where many of the principal settlements exist. Many of the watersheds are drained by tributaries of the Douro that have, although a low intensity flow, carved out deep valleys (suchas as the Teixeira and Semenha River). Monte de São Silvestre, in the parish of Vila Jusã, is the highest point in the municipality (located at 531 metres above sea level), while the lowest point is in the Porto de Rei, in Barqueiros (50 metre above the river).
Climate
Located in the southern flank of the Serra do Marão and on the right margin of the Douro the region is marked by distinct climatic regions. The northern zone, owing to the mountainous Serra do Marão, has a climate characteristic of the Terras Frias Transmontanas: temperatures are relatively low (annual means between 10°C and 12.5°C) and exposed to colder winds and precipatation (annually in excess of 1600 millimetres). The southeastern zone, with minor humidity and reduced altitudes, has less precipation. The localities here are between 400 and 700 metres in altitude (such as Vila Marim and Brunhais), and although the winters continue to be cold, they are less sevre, and the summers are shorter and warmer (with temperatures between 12.5°C and 14°C). In the valleys of the Douro, Teixeira and Sermenha (areas of 400 metres and less in altitude) the temperatures and climate are almost Mediterranean. These areas have annual temperatures of 14°C and area commonly referred to as part of the Terras Quentes Transmontanas.Human geography
The evolution of the resident population of Mesão Frio has diminished recent years; between 1991 and 2001 the population in the municipality decreased from 5519 to 4926. Similar decreases occurred between the period 1960 and 2001 where the resident population dropped by 2498 inhabitants. The only exception occurring after the return of colonial immigrants and military after the independence of many of the Portuguese Colonial dependancies. A similar decrease internally, between the parishes has been prevalent, the exceptions being Vila Jusã and São Nicolau, mirroring the desertification in most of the Trás-os-Montes and Douro regions, from the rural to urbanized centres.Although the primary level of government is the municipal authority, the local administration is operated by civil parish boards operating in the constituent parishes:
- Barqueiros
- Cidadelhe
- Oliveira
- São Nicolau
- Santa Cristina
- Vila Jusã
- Vila Marim
Notable citizens
- José Maria de Alpoim Cerqueira Borges CabralJosé Maria de AlpoimJosé Maria de Alpoim Cerqueira Borges Cabral was a politician, member of the Progressive Party of Portugal, and later the Republican Party of Portugal, who held various roles during the last years of the constitutional monarchy in Portugal...
(Santa Cristina; 2 June 1858 - Lisbon, 12 December 1916) was a politician, member of the Progressive Party of Portugal, and later the Republican Party of Portugal, who held various roles during the last years of the constitutional monarchy in Portugal, and was responsible for providing bombs, arms and money to republican conspirators envolved in the Lisbon RegicideLisbon RegicideThe Lisbon Regicide was the name given for the assassinations of King Carlos I of Portugal and his heir, Luis Filipe, the Prince Royal by assassins sympathetic to republican interests...
. Later, as well as holding positions in the Ministry of Justice after his exile in Salamanca, he held minor roles in the First Portuguese Republic. The public garden in Mesão Frio, along with an avenue that bears his name (Avenida Conselheiro José Maria Alpoim) and, in front of the municipal grounds, a bust of José Maria de Alpoim was erected in 1923.