Alvelos
Encyclopedia
Alvelos 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 Barcelos. It has a population of 2,168 inhabitants and a total area of 4.22 km² (1.65 sq mi).

People remain active in a number of sport and cultural associations. The Associação Recreativa Aguias Futebol Clube de Alvelos, founded on February 5, 1961, and the youth association, Mais Juventude, founded in 2005, are the associations with the most activity in the region.

The majority of the population is Roman Catholic and the religion still has an important role on people's daily life.

Historical Monuments

Alvelos has many historical monuments. Most of them are associated with religious purposes. The Church is probably the most important historical site of the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...

. Some other monuments are the Chapel of Nossa Senhora das Dores, Chapel of Senhor dos Passos, Chapel of Santa Cruz and Chapel of Socorro.

Sports

Águias F.C. Alvelos is a soccer team whose its senior squad team plays in a secondary regional division. Currently, it has also several youth squads. The club is fully committed to the academy and recognizes the importance of developing positive social interactions in out-of-school programs.

Youth Associations

In Alvelos several associations have come up during the last decade as result of an active population. The youth association "Mais Juventude" was founded in 2005 by a group of five friends (Elói Figueiredo, Élio Silva, Hugo Sousa, João Sá, and José Carlos Martins) willing to support and promote ideas of young people in favor of the parish. The main goal of this association is to promote sport and cultural activities among the inhabitants of Alvelos and surroundings.

The organization of the annual "Carnaval de Alvelos" has been one of the main activities of the "Mais Juventude", which success has been shown by the number of attracted people from several other parishes of Barcelos. The Carnival
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...

has been one of the central events (along with the also annual "Festa da nossa Senhora das Dores") for many artists who spend several days each year getting ready for the Sunday parade. As a street parade and festival, the electrifying show is full of vibrant color and the energy is unbeatable. Its theme is often centered in social, cultural and political events.

Statues

The construction of two public sculptures (Nossa Senhora das Dores and S. Lorenço) has already begun to replace two other monuments located in front of the Church. Although these new landmarks are essentially promoted by public donations, its relevancy for the parish is still a controversial issue among the population, especially due to its initial budget.

External links

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