Monte Córdova is a
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of Parish (administrative division), administrative parish used for Local government in England, local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below district ...
in the
Portuguese municipality of
Santo Tirso
Santo Tirso () is a city and municipality located in the north of Porto Metropolitan Area, 25 km from central Porto, Portugal. In the region, the Ave Valley, there is a large center of textile industry. The population in 2011 was 71,530, i ...
, located 4 kilometres east of the municipal seat. The population in 2011 was 3,958, in an area of .
Eurostat
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History
São Salvador de Monte Córdova is an ancient parish that was first mentioned in recorded documents in 959.Pyrenees
The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to ...
to the Atlantic, Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour.
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of ...
to the Mediterranean.[ They forced a restructuring of society, promoting the occupation of the open plains rather than the hilltops, which were typical at the time. The difficulty encountered by the Romans in this area, resulted in the Greek historian Strabo identifying the Lusitanian region and its peoples as the most powerful groups in the ]Iberian peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula (),
**
* Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica''
**
**
* french: Péninsule Ibérique
* mwl, Península Eibérica
* eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...
.[
On Monte Padrão existed the ruins of a castro. The Castro of Monte Padrão, until the end of the 16th century, existed as the parochial church, being under the primitive monastery of ]Celanova
Celanova is a town and municipality located in the province of Ourense, Galicia, Northern Spain. Situated near the border with Portugal, the municipality is bordered by Ramirás, Cartelle, A Merca, A Bola, Verea and Quintela de Leirado.
Th ...
, in Galicia
Galicia may refer to:
Geographic regions
* Galicia (Spain), a region and autonomous community of northwestern Spain
** Gallaecia, a Roman province
** The post-Roman Kingdom of the Suebi, also called the Kingdom of Gallaecia
** The medieval King ...
.[
]
Geography
The civil parish of Monte Córdova is situated 30 kilometres from Porto, and accessible by the EN105 motorway to many of the local communities, including Braga
Braga ( , ; cel-x-proto, Bracara) is a city and a municipality, capital of the northwestern Portuguese district of Braga and of the historical and cultural Minho Province. Braga Municipality has a resident population of 193,333 inhabitants (i ...
, Famalicão and Guimarães
Guimarães () is a city and municipality located in northern Portugal, in the district of Braga.
Its historic town centre has been listed as a UNESCWorld Heritage Sitesince 2001, in recognition for being an "exceptionally well-preserved and a ...
.[
For many centuries, the geomorphology of the terrain was responsible for the relative isolation of its populations.][ The parish is located at about 410–420 metres above sea level, in an area called the Agrela da Assunção escarpment.][ Alto de Cabanas is one of the best natural lookouts in the region, and the area of Valinhas, with its monumental oak forests and curious chapel, near the Fervença waterfalls (or the Leça River), are almost obligatory natural sites of the landscape.][
]
Economy
For a long time Monte Córdova was considered the "breadbasket" of Santo Tirso ().[ However, primary activities have diminished considerably over time so that the totality of the lands cultivated today only provide subsistence resources for the local community, or to complement family income. The secondary economic activities are dominated by industries such as sawmilling, carpentry and associated services.][
]
Architecture
The parish of Monte Córdova has many cultural monuments and buildings spread throughout its territory, but the following have been classified in the National Registry of Patrimony by IGESPAR:
Civic
* Castro of Monte Padrão ()
* Monte Córdova Primary School ()
* Pereiras' Sierra Hydraulic Building ()
Religious
* Chapel of São Gonçalo ()
* Church of Nossa Senhora da Assunção () - designed by the Italian architect Korrrodi, the basilica-like church houses the image of Nossa Senhora da Assunção (''Our Lady of the Assumption''), considered one of the best conserved sculptures from the late 19th century sculptor João da Fonseca Lapa.[
]
Culture
Annually, there are pilgrimages in honour of São Salvador, in the area of Santa Luzia involving its 12th century chapel.[
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Monte Cordova
Freguesias of Santo Tirso