Valadares (Vila Nova de Gaia)
Encyclopedia
Valadares is a Portuguese
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...

 parish, located in the municipality of Vila Nova de Gaia
Vila Nova de Gaia
Vila Nova de Gaia, or simply Gaia is a city in Vila Nova de Gaia Municipality, Portugal. It is located in the Porto District, south of the city of Porto on the other side of the Douro River. The city proper has a population of 178,255 and the municipality contains 24 parishes with a total...

. It has a population of 9,095 inhabitants and a total area of 4.94 km².

Today the shoreside vicinity is very popular for its nightlife and the bars along its well-known beach. It is also possible to see some old sanatorium
Sanatorium
A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...

s used mostly in the 1940s and 1950s to treat people suffering from bone fractures and diseases like tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...

. The sanatorium
Sanatorium
A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...

s were established here because the region is extremely rich in iodine
Iodine
Iodine is a chemical element with the symbol I and atomic number 53. The name is pronounced , , or . The name is from the , meaning violet or purple, due to the color of elemental iodine vapor....

, valuable for its antiseptic uses in medicine.

Valadares is also very famous for Cerâmica de Valadares
Cerâmica de Valadares
Cerâmica de Valadares is a Portuguese company which produces sanitary ware and ceramic fittings. Cerâmica de Valadares' factory is located in the parish of Valadares, in the city Vila Nova de Gaia and was founded in 25 April 1921.-History:...

 that today it is considered the biggest and most varied National Manufacture provider of sanitary ware and ceramic fittings.
There is a train station.

Coat of arms and flag

The coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...

 are made up of a ceramic vase
Vase
The vase is an open container, often used to hold cut flowers. It can be made from a number of materials including ceramics and glass. The vase is often decorated and thus used to extend the beauty of its contents....

 on the center with a dentate wheel behind, on the left is maize and on the right a shield over the water, on the bottom is water. The flag has two white and two blue squares.

The ceramic vase with a dentate wheel represents the ceramic industry and the archaeological findings. The maize represents the fields in Vila Chá. The shield represents the shields of Vila Nova de Gaia
Vila Nova de Gaia
Vila Nova de Gaia, or simply Gaia is a city in Vila Nova de Gaia Municipality, Portugal. It is located in the Porto District, south of the city of Porto on the other side of the Douro River. The city proper has a population of 178,255 and the municipality contains 24 parishes with a total...

 coat of arms. The water represents the ocean and the beach of Valadares. The colors blue and white represent the ocean and foam of the waves.

History

The name Valadares originates from the word "Vallado", that means obstacle. That may be the "Crasto de Valadares" a fortification from the second period of the Iron Age (450 b.C.). This "Crastos" on the northwest of Iberian Peninsula, goes from the 5th century B.C. to AD 5th century. In the Middle Ages, Valadares belonged to the Monastery of Grijó. During the first half of the 20th century, Valadares enjoyed a considerable development, being one of the most developed parishes of Gaia, due the existence of the Cerâmica de Valadares, one important Train Station, Sanatoriums, several Schools and a theatre (Cine-teatro Eduardo Brazão
Cine-teatro Eduardo Brazão
Cine-teatro Eduardo Brazão is a Portuguese theatre located in Valadares. It was built in the decade of 20 by Alexandre Martha da Cruz, and after years of decline it was rebuilt in 2007. The original building was inspired in Odeon, a theatre in Porto, but the restored one is a project of the...

).

Culture

There is a traditional dessert in Valadares - The "Velhote
Velhote
Velhote is a typical dessert of the parish of Valadares, Vila Nova de Gaia.Velhotes were baked for the first time in the 1880s by Maria Francisca da Silva - "A Braguesa" and soon became popular...

", a kind of sweet bread with lemon and cinnamon. The origin of this dessert isn't cleared yet, but most people believe that it was created in the 19th century by a lady who came from Braga. It is said that when king Carlos I
Carlos I of Portugal
-Assassination:On 1 February 1908 the royal family returned from the palace of Vila Viçosa to Lisbon. They travelled by train to Barreiro and, from there, they took a steamer to cross the Tagus River and disembarked at Cais do Sodré in central Lisbon. On their way to the royal palace, the open...

 and queen Amelia went to Oporto, they ate "Velhotes".

The patron of Valadares is S. Salvador.

Places

Valadares is divided in 13 places.
  • Aldeia
  • Barroco
  • Campolinho
  • Castro
  • Chamorra
  • Estação
  • Pedreiras
  • Penedo
  • Praia (de Valadares)
    Praia (de Valadares)
    Praia de Valadares is a Portuguese place, located in the parish of Valadares.-Nature and Climate:Praia de Valadares is located on the seashore and has an Oceanic Climate. The native vegetation is mainly composed by pine trees...

  • Sameiros
  • Tartumil
  • Valadarinhos
  • Vila-Chã
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