Monte de Fralães

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Monte de Fralães Parish coat of arms
Municipality	Barcelos
Area	1.80 km²
Population  - Total  - Density	270 (2001) 150.0/km²
Website:

Monte de Fralães is a Portuguese parish, located in the municipality of Barcelos. It has a population of 270 inhabitants and a total area of 1.80 Km².

The patron saint is St. Peter. On 15th August, since four centuries, is celebrated a feast promoted by the Confraternity of our Lady of the Health.

The actual parish church was in ancient times the chapel of the Correias, a local noble family. Deeply modified, it is today a small and beautifull tempel, which substitutes, since 1913, the former church. It possesses a remarkable altar in «talha» of the 18th century . Remarkable also, dating certainly of the second decade of 20th century, are the two lateral retables that receive the images of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and our Lady of the Health.

The parish, that was born in the Mount of Assaia, where there was a very ancient town, a «citânia», had some important priests, like Jácome Dias (16th century), João Rodrigues de Carvalho and the writer João Rosa (19th century). Its original name was «S. Cristóvão de Silveiros» (11th century), as can be seen in the «Censual do Bispo D. Pedro».

In 13th century XIII was born in Monte de Fralães (then «S. Pedro do Monte»), the great conqueror Paio Peres Correia.

In 14th century, in the «Solar» of the Correias («Solar of Fralães»), has been created the Municipality of Fralães, known as Honra de Fralães (that included also Viatodos and part of Silveiros); it would be extinguished in December 1836. Varied documentation of this autarchy is conserved in the parish and in Barcelos archives.

In Monte de Fralães was born the piannist and composer Luís Costa.

For further information, see the Portuguese article on Monte de Fralães.