Mindelo, Portugal
Encyclopedia
Mindelo is a coastal civil parish in the municipality of Vila do Conde, along the Costa Verde (Portugal) in continental Portugal
. In 2001 its population was 3402, in a coastal area that included 5.74 km² (with a population density of approximately 592 citizens per kilometre square.
A land with more than 1000 years of history, the first documents from Mindelo date back to the 10th century. The first registered reference to the region, dates back to 1068, to the village of Amidjelus, that would become Mindelo. Other resources suggest that the local toponymy
developed from the terms Amenidello, Amenitello, Amenitelo or Menidello, from the name of a knight, during the age of Vimara Peres
, who settled in the area and battled Arab forces.
Ancestral records and property titles are also mentioned in successive records for 1069, 1081, 1082, 1095 and 1127. After administrative reforms in 1258, clearer records identified the places within the parish, such as Igreja, Passos, Pinheiro, Gondosendo, Outeiro, Manhalde and Paredes. Each of these localities were composed of many families, while a few pertained specifically to the King. This was related to Medieval donations of land or testaments that left many of those properties in the hands of the church, such as the Monasteries of Vairão, Moreira, Santo Tirso and Roriz.
In 1081, Mindelo had their own religious temple, located in Burgal (which itself received its name from its populational movement, developed from the toponumy burgh). The current parochial church dates back to the 18th century, with contracts signed with quarrymen and carpenters in 1770, during a period of Portuguese religious construction.
In the 16th century, King Manuel of Portugal
in Évora issued a regal charter to the municipality of Maia, which included Mindelo at the time. Since 6 November 1836, it was integrated into the municipality of Vila do Conde. The delineation of the parish of Mindelo dates back to 1611. On 20 October of that year, the Monastery of Moreira defined the limits of the ecclesiastical parish in the presence of the abbeys of Fajozes and Vila Chã, representatives of Cabido da Sé do Porto and the Monastery of Vairão. António do Carmo Reis (1997) referred to Mindelo " until the first decades of the 20th century, Mindelo was a vast area between the River Ave and the mouth of the River Leça, with, canonically, a clergy of the Cónegos Regrantes de Santo Agostinho, in the Convent of Moreira da Maia".
The village, and in particular the beaches between Mindelo and Pampolide, were important in the being the location for the landing of Liberal forces during the Liberal Wars. Under the command of Peter IV, the troops, later referred to as the Bravos do Mindelo , arriving from the Azores
, disembarked along the beach on 8 July 1832, before proceeding to Porto.
(OPO), 15 kilometres from the harbour of Póvoa de Varzim
and 20 kilometres from the city of Porto
.
), created on 2 September 1957, through the initiative of Santos Júnior, is the first protected area created in Portugal, and the only coastal area in the Porto Metropolitan Area that has maintained its natural characteristics. The area is around six km² 6 square kilometres (600 ha) and includes parts of the beaches, farmlands, botanical gardens and areas of Ribeira de Silvares. The Ornithological Reserve features avian scientific studies and includes 150 species of birds, in addition to mammals and amphibian species.
With the creation of the Área de Paisagem Protegida do Litoral de Vila do Conde the parish has begun to concentrate on eco-tourism.
superhighway and the Porto Metro
(subway system) with the train station with the Line B.
Mindelo is the first parish in Portugal to have the Agenda 21 local, an involvement on the community on identification problems and the definition of prioritites, as well as its quality of life.
Other buildings typical of the parish, and important architectural, are related with agriculture and include the buildings along the Rua do Covelo and Rua de Paredes, in addition to the Vila Corina estate (dating back to the 19th century), but today operating as a lyceum
.
(an environmental group), the Associação Cultural e Desportiva de Mindelo (ACDM) (a sports association), the Associação Recreativa Rancho Regional de Mindelo (ARRRM) (a choral group), the Centro Social de Mindelo – IPSS (community centre) and the Corpo Nacional de Escutas – Agrupamento 572 (scouts).
Apart from religious celebrations throughout many of the villages, the parish is known for the Festival de concertinas e cantares ao desafio (occurring in the spring), and the Festival Folclórico (in the second Sunday in August).
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...
. In 2001 its population was 3402, in a coastal area that included 5.74 km² (with a population density of approximately 592 citizens per kilometre square.
History
- "Great little smell of pine, I don't know others similar, Of the pinery of Mindelo, Which is a beautiful pinery, Where in Azurara begins, And in Porto ends..."
A land with more than 1000 years of history, the first documents from Mindelo date back to the 10th century. The first registered reference to the region, dates back to 1068, to the village of Amidjelus, that would become Mindelo. Other resources suggest that the local toponymy
Toponymy
Toponymy is the scientific study of place names , their origins, meanings, use and typology. The word "toponymy" is derived from the Greek words tópos and ónoma . Toponymy is itself a branch of onomastics, the study of names of all kinds...
developed from the terms Amenidello, Amenitello, Amenitelo or Menidello, from the name of a knight, during the age of Vimara Peres
Vímara Peres
Vímara Peres, Count of Portugal was a Galician Christian duke of the 9th century in west Iberia. He was a vassal of the King of Asturias, Léon and Galicia, Alfonso III, and was sent to reconquer and secure from the Moors , in the west coastal fringe of Gallaecia, the area from the Minho River to...
, who settled in the area and battled Arab forces.
Ancestral records and property titles are also mentioned in successive records for 1069, 1081, 1082, 1095 and 1127. After administrative reforms in 1258, clearer records identified the places within the parish, such as Igreja, Passos, Pinheiro, Gondosendo, Outeiro, Manhalde and Paredes. Each of these localities were composed of many families, while a few pertained specifically to the King. This was related to Medieval donations of land or testaments that left many of those properties in the hands of the church, such as the Monasteries of Vairão, Moreira, Santo Tirso and Roriz.
In 1081, Mindelo had their own religious temple, located in Burgal (which itself received its name from its populational movement, developed from the toponumy burgh). The current parochial church dates back to the 18th century, with contracts signed with quarrymen and carpenters in 1770, during a period of Portuguese religious construction.
In the 16th century, King Manuel of Portugal
Manuel of Portugal
-Kings:* Manuel I of Portugal , 14th King of Portugal* Manuel II of Portugal , 34th and last King of -Infante:* Infante Manuel, Count of Ourém , son of Peter II of Portugal...
in Évora issued a regal charter to the municipality of Maia, which included Mindelo at the time. Since 6 November 1836, it was integrated into the municipality of Vila do Conde. The delineation of the parish of Mindelo dates back to 1611. On 20 October of that year, the Monastery of Moreira defined the limits of the ecclesiastical parish in the presence of the abbeys of Fajozes and Vila Chã, representatives of Cabido da Sé do Porto and the Monastery of Vairão. António do Carmo Reis (1997) referred to Mindelo " until the first decades of the 20th century, Mindelo was a vast area between the River Ave and the mouth of the River Leça, with, canonically, a clergy of the Cónegos Regrantes de Santo Agostinho, in the Convent of Moreira da Maia".
The village, and in particular the beaches between Mindelo and Pampolide, were important in the being the location for the landing of Liberal forces during the Liberal Wars. Under the command of Peter IV, the troops, later referred to as the Bravos do Mindelo , arriving from the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
, disembarked along the beach on 8 July 1832, before proceeding to Porto.
Physical geography
Mindelo is part of the Porto Metropolitan Area of the coastal part of northwestern Portugal. It is located approximately five kilometres from the municipal seat (Vila do Conde), ten kilometres from Francisco Sá Carneiro AirportFrancisco Sá Carneiro Airport
Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport or simply Porto Airport is an international airport near Porto, Portugal. It is located approximately six miles northwest of Porto city centre, in the municipalities of Maia, Matosinhos and Vila do Conde and is run by ANA Aeroportos de Portugal...
(OPO), 15 kilometres from the harbour 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...
and 20 kilometres from the city of Porto
Porto
Porto , also known as Oporto in English, is the second largest city in Portugal and one of the major urban areas in the Iberian Peninsula. Its administrative limits include a population of 237,559 inhabitants distributed within 15 civil parishes...
.
Ecoregions/Protected areas
The Reserva Ornitológica de Mindelo (ROM) (Mindelo Ornithological ReserveMindelo Ornithological Reserve
The Mindelo Ornithological Reserve is located in the coastal zone of the North of Portugal, municipality of Vila do Conde, 20 km from Oporto, occupying an area of around 6 million m2....
), created on 2 September 1957, through the initiative of Santos Júnior, is the first protected area created in Portugal, and the only coastal area in the Porto Metropolitan Area that has maintained its natural characteristics. The area is around six km² 6 square kilometres (600 ha) and includes parts of the beaches, farmlands, botanical gardens and areas of Ribeira de Silvares. The Ornithological Reserve features avian scientific studies and includes 150 species of birds, in addition to mammals and amphibian species.
With the creation of the Área de Paisagem Protegida do Litoral de Vila do Conde the parish has begun to concentrate on eco-tourism.
Human geography
Mindelo is accessed with the EN13, the A28A28 (Portugal)
A28 is a motorway in Portugal. It connects Porto to Viana do Castelo, further extending to Valença, on the border with Galicia . It crosses with the A27, A7, A11, and A41 motorways....
superhighway and the Porto Metro
Porto Metro
The Porto Metro , part of the public transport system of Porto, Portugal, is a light-rail network that runs underground in central Porto and above ground into the city's suburbs...
(subway system) with the train station with the Line B.
Economy
Initially, the community was based in agriculture, then later the fishery, marked by geomorphological limits along the coast, and lastly by its position determined in seasonal tourism. Today, agriculture and industry remain essential to the local economy, in particular textiles.Mindelo is the first parish in Portugal to have the Agenda 21 local, an involvement on the community on identification problems and the definition of prioritites, as well as its quality of life.
Architecture
- Church of São João Evangelista (Saint John the Evanglist) - dating back to the 18th century;
- Chapel of São Pedro dos Mareabtes (Saint Peter of Marebtes) - constructed in the 20th century
Other buildings typical of the parish, and important architectural, are related with agriculture and include the buildings along the Rua do Covelo and Rua de Paredes, in addition to the Vila Corina estate (dating back to the 19th century), but today operating as a lyceum
Lyceum
The lyceum is a category of educational institution defined within the education system of many countries, mainly in Europe. The definition varies between countries; usually it is a type of secondary school.-History:...
.
Culture
The parish has several community groups that support local initiatives, including the Associação dos Amigos do Mindelo para a Defesa do AmbienteAssociação dos Amigos do Mindelo para a Defesa do Ambiente
The Associação dos Amigos do Mindelo para a Defesa do Ambiente , is the only government organization in Vila do Conte, Portugal...
(an environmental group), the Associação Cultural e Desportiva de Mindelo (ACDM) (a sports association), the Associação Recreativa Rancho Regional de Mindelo (ARRRM) (a choral group), the Centro Social de Mindelo – IPSS (community centre) and the Corpo Nacional de Escutas – Agrupamento 572 (scouts).
Apart from religious celebrations throughout many of the villages, the parish is known for the Festival de concertinas e cantares ao desafio (occurring in the spring), and the Festival Folclórico (in the second Sunday in August).