Pêra Velha
Encyclopedia
Pêra Velha is a Portuguese
civil parish
, located in the municipality of Moimenta da Beira, with a 2001 population of less than 246, covering an area of 15.73 km².
, coming from continental Europe. These were likely Celts, owing to the many prehistoric dolmens and shelters that were used as shelter. The tributaries of the Paiva and Varosa Rivers wind through the plateus, providing irrigated fertile lands that could be used to support the early clans.
While the Romans came to occupy the valleys and floodplains, the Lusitanian
s continued to occupy the high-grounds and defended their territory.
Almançor's Moorish
forces eventually crossed the same territory after destroying the castle of Moimenta da Beira, around the 9th century.
The Goths
from Asturias
eventually retook and repopulated the region, which was vaguely populated, reorganizing and forming an administrative territory (municipality) that included the villages of Peva, Ariz and Soutosa. Until 1834 it was a municipality and municipal seat, that included the parishes of Pêra Velha, Ariz and Peva.
By 1801, Pêra Velha had a population of 1136 inhabitants across 41 square kilometres (4,100 ha).
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...
civil parish
Freguesia
Freguesia is the Portuguese term for a secondary local administrative unit in Portugal and some of its former colonies, and a former secondary local administrative unit in Macau, roughly equivalent to an administrative parish. A freguesia is a subdivision of a concelho, the Portuguese synonym term...
, located in the municipality of Moimenta da Beira, with a 2001 population of less than 246, covering an area of 15.73 km².
History
Pêra Velha obtained its toponomic name from the monumental rocks that are scattered throughout its territory. Its name, literally old pear, refers to the boulders and rocks that are found in Moimenta da Beira. Its first inhabitants settled in the region during an obscure period of the NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
, coming from continental Europe. These were likely Celts, owing to the many prehistoric dolmens and shelters that were used as shelter. The tributaries of the Paiva and Varosa Rivers wind through the plateus, providing irrigated fertile lands that could be used to support the early clans.
While the Romans came to occupy the valleys and floodplains, the Lusitanian
Lusitanian
Lusitanian may refer to:*Lusitanians, an ancient people of western Iberian Peninsula.**Lusitanian language, the language of the ancient Lusitanians.**Lusitanian mythology, the mythology of the ancient Lusitanians....
s continued to occupy the high-grounds and defended their territory.
Almançor's Moorish
Moors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
forces eventually crossed the same territory after destroying the castle of Moimenta da Beira, around the 9th century.
The Goths
Goths
The Goths were an East Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin whose two branches, the Visigoths and the Ostrogoths, played an important role in the fall of the Roman Empire and the emergence of Medieval Europe....
from Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
eventually retook and repopulated the region, which was vaguely populated, reorganizing and forming an administrative territory (municipality) that included the villages of Peva, Ariz and Soutosa. Until 1834 it was a municipality and municipal seat, that included the parishes of Pêra Velha, Ariz and Peva.
By 1801, Pêra Velha had a population of 1136 inhabitants across 41 square kilometres (4,100 ha).
Prehistoric
- Castro of Pêra Velha
- Dolmen of Lameiras , which is a set of three NeolithicNeolithicThe Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
dolmenDolmenA dolmen—also known as a portal tomb, portal grave, dolmain , cromlech , anta , Hünengrab/Hünenbett , Adamra , Ispun , Hunebed , dös , goindol or quoit—is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of...
s
Religious
- Chapel of Senhora da Livração
- Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Fonte Santa
- Church of Pêra Velha , an 18th century church dedicated to the archangel Michael