Argivai 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 city 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 census of 2001, it had a population of 2,187 inhabitants and a total area of 2.32 km².

The name of the parish is of Germanic origin, from Argivadi, despite that, it is popularly known as Anjo (angel).

History

The parish of Argivai is, like many parishes of Póvoa de Varzim, very ancient and its founding date is not known, we just know it already existed in the 11th century. In its territory, a pre-Roman Castro settlement is known by the name of Castro de Argivai.

In the past it belonged to Barcelos

Barcelos

Barcelos Municipality is located in Braga District, in the north of Portugal. It has a total population of 123,831 and an area of 378.9 km². With 89 parishes, it is the municipality with the highest number of parishes in the country, as well as the city of Barcelos...

. Póvoa de Varzim itself, then Varazim, was a place of this parish, until king Denis of Portugal gave a town charter to the town of Póvoa de Varzim. With the urban enlargement of Póvoa de Varzim and the town's growth in territory (disputing it with Barcelos), made Argivai to be a very small parish. its remaining territory was finally incorporated in the municipality of Póvoa de Varzim in 1836 and, officially, integrated in the city in January 2006.

Geography

The parish of Argivai is today very small and enclosed between the parish of Póvoa de Varzim and the one of Vila do Conde. It is crossed by the Santa Clara Aqueduct, giving it a very pleasing outlook. The urban and transportation development destroyed much of its beautiful natural areas, including the traditional picnic areas that the Poveiros loved to go on Easter Monday, which lead the population to choose other locations on Anjo festival. A festival that even holds the name of the place.

Hamlets

The parish is divided in twelve hamlets: Aguieira, Bom Sucesso, Calves, Casal do Monte, Cassapos, Gandra, Igreja, Fiéis de Deus, Oliveira, Padrão, Pedreira, and Quintela.

City districts

The parish of Argivai contains two of the eleven city districts:

• Argivai
• Gândara
  Gândara
  Gândara is a neighourhood of the Portuguese city of Póvoa de Varzim.Gândara was since the 16th century until the 19th century, the main reason of disputes between Póvoa de Varzim and Barcelos, as it already had a considerable population. Póvoa de Varzim claimed that its municipality corresponded to...
  
  (eastern part)