Sopo is a civil parish  in the municipality

Municipalities of Portugal

In Portugal, municipality or concelho is the most stable subdivision of Portugal since the foundation of the country.Portugal has an entirely separate system of cities and towns. Cities and towns are located in municipalities, but often do not have the same boundaries, even if built-up is continuous...

  of Vila Nova de Cerveira in Portugal.

History

According to the Portuguese National Archive:

A document from 1258 that lists churches situated between the Lima River and the Minho River

Minho River

The Minho or Miño is the longest river in Galicia, Spain, with an extension of 340 km.Both names come from Latin Minius...

 names "Zopo" as one of the churches that belonged to the Bishop of Tui.

In the beginning of the XVI century, the parish of Sopo was incorporated into the Archdiocese of Braga and it was part of the municipality of Caminha. In 1546, Sopo was still part of Caminha.
A copy from 1580 of D. Frei Baltasar Limpo's census information about the canonical situation of these benefits mentions that Santiago de Sopo, still in the region of Caminha, was dividing in two. The part of Sopo that had no priest went to the Archbishop, and the part that had a priest went to the presentation of lay patrons.
Administratively, in 1839, Sopo was in the municipality of Monção. In 1852, it was in the municipality of Valença. On July 12, 1895, Caminha annexed Sopo. On January 13, 1989, Sopo was restored to Vila Nova de Cerveira.

Sopo has belonged to the Diocese of Viana do Castelo

Roman Catholic Diocese of Viana do Castelo

The Portuguese Catholic Diocese of Viana do Castelo , in the Norte Region, has existed since 1977. It is a suffragan of the archdiocese of Braga, with its see at Viana do Castelo....

 since November 3, 1977.

Government

Sopo is governed by a Parish Board and a Parish Assembly .

Parish Board

• Manuel Pedro Cerqueira Soares, President
• Luís Alberto Fernandes Araújo, Secretary
• Catarina Dantas Giestal, Treasurer

Parish Assembly

• Carlos Manuel Teixeira Bouça, President
• Cristina Maria Fernandes Guerreiro, 1st Secretary
• Luís Dinis do Poço, 2nd Secretary
• Elisabete Gomes Postiço Rodrigues, Voting Member
• Sandrine Paula Soares Brandão Dias, Voting Member
• Fernando Vieira, Voting Member
• Armando Rodrigues da Silva Pereira, Voting Member

Industry

The main industries in Sopo are:

• agriculture;
• livestock;
• baking; and
• hydroelectricity.

Heraldry

• Coat of arms: Sopo's coat of arms has a red background and features a white shield in the center. In the middle of the shield are two black beehives with silver highlights. At the top is a red scallop; and at the bottom, is a red grate with raised silver spikes. Above the center shield is a silver crown with three towers. Below it, there is a white banner with "SOPO" written in black.
• Flag: Sopo's flag features the coat of arms with silver cords and a silver border. The pole and lance are gold.
• Seal: In terms of the law, Sopo's seal says, "Junta de Freguesia de Sopo - Vila Nova de Cerveira".

Tradition

Traditional festivals include:

• Festival of Our Lady of Agony
• Festival of St. James
• Festival of St. John
• Festival of St. Andrew

Points of Interest

The following points of interest hightlight the heritage of Sopo:

• Town church
• Stone cross
  Calvary (sculpture)
  A calvary is a type of monumental public crucifix, sometimes encased in an open shrine, most commonly found across northern France from Brittany east and through Belgium and equally familiar as wayside structures provided with minimal sheltering roofs in Italy and Spain...
  
   of Our Lady of Piety
• Various chapels:
  • Capela de Santo André
  • Capela de S. Gregório
  • Capela da Quinta da Parede Nova
  • Capela de Santo Abedão
  • Capela da Senhora da Agonia
  • Capela de S. João
  • Capela de Altos da Pena
  • Capela de Góis.

Gastronomy

Sopo specializes in the following culinary dishes:

• Lamprey Eel Rice
• Pork Stew
• Pork Sausage

Social Groups

Sopo has the following social groups and clubs:

• Sopo Folklore Dance and Music Club
• Sopo Sports Club
• Drums of St. James Cultural and Recreational Association

Neighborhoods

According to CTT, the Portuguese Postal Service in Sopo:

• Aldeia
• Assamonde
• Barreira
• Bárrio
• Barros
• Bouça
• Cabral
• Campo Redondo
• Carreiro
• Carvalha
• Chães
• Cimo de Vila
• Cortinhas
• Costa
• Curros
• Espinhosa
• France
• Gaves
• Igreja
• Pardelhas
• Passos
• Pinheiro Manso
• Quinta
• Rodetes
• Senra
• Trás do Outeiro
• Vale
• Vale das Donas
• Veiguinha