Póvoa de Varzim neighbourhoods

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The city of Póvoa de Varzim is located in a total area of 12.8 km2 and is divided in eleven districts.
The city of Póvoa de Varzim is located in a total area of 12.8 km2 and is divided in eleven districts.

The Póvoa de Varzim City Planning Commission divided the city into 11 districts (partes, lit. "parts"), each with distinctive zones (zonas).

While most of these assigned boundaries match with traditional local designations, some others differ from common traditional use, for instance the northern area of Giesteira is understood as part of Barreiros. This is a result of the City Planning Commission's wish to divide the city with a population of about 3 to 4 thousand in each district. Although, the idea of a neighbourhood equal to a district was aimed, sometimes it was not possible. While most of the districts have been in common use by locals for generations, some designated names are rarely heard outside of the Planning Commission usage, such as "Parque da Cidade" or "Agro-Velho".

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[edit] Cityscape

The city of the Póvoa de Varzim is constituted by eleven Partes or Bairros (districts), which are significant areas of the city and have population and topological differences. These are located in three of the twelve civil parishes: Póvoa de Varzim (parish), A Ver-o-Mar, and Argivai; small parts of the parishes of Amorim and Beiriz are also included in the city. Some parts are formed by more than one neighbourhood, such as the Matriz/Mariadeira District formed by Matriz, Mariadeira, Regufe, Penalves, and Coelheiro or the Barreiros/Moninhas District formed by Barreiros and Moninhas.

The city started from an inland town that extended to the coast. The Matriz neighbourhood was a significant settlement in 14th century, whose nucleus was the centre from whence the city grew and is the historical district of the city, being a neighbourhood composed by old single family homes[1].

Bairro Sul (South Quarter) grew from the population of fishermen that came from Matriz neighbourhood and its structure of streets parallel to the coast with fishermen's houses - "beehive of the fishermen" – was already reasonably developed in the 18th century[1].

Bairro Norte (North Quarter) developed at the beginning of the 20th century with streets parallel to the sea, resembling Bairro Sul. It became a beach resort and became very urbanized (the most populous area with high buildings)[1]. This neighbourhood has triggered the development of neighbouring areas, such as Agro-Velho, Barreiros, and Parque da Cidade.

Mariadeira, Regufe, Penalves, and Gândara are old areas[2], with only modest development, possessing different topologies and of almost exclusively residential nature with small central areas. The current central district (Centro) has the opposite character to the previous ones, namely Junqueira that became in a commercial district[1].

The Belém Quarter (Giesteira), which maintains a rural facet in the interior of the city, originated from the old village of Giesteira that along with Argivai constituted the main nucleus of the settlement before the 14th century, whose lavradores (farmers) had helped in the installation of "póvoa" in the coast.

Previously influenced by Bairro Sul, Aver-o-Mar developed a distinctive character due to agricultural and fishery, forming a genuine community of pescadores-lavradores (fishing-farmers). With the exception of Santo André in the northern zone,which keeps an unchanged fishing identity identified by family homes that have grown up in a spontaneous way, the rest of the area has developed as a result of the urbanization of Bairro Norte.

The neighbourhoods have greater importance for the inhabitants during the Rusgas in which the six traditional neighbourhoods (Belém, Mariadeira, Matriz, Norte, Regufe, and Sul) compete between themselves on the night of Saint Peter, part of the city’s festivals. The Rusgas are somewhat similar to the competition between neighbourhoods in the popular marches of Lisbon, but with a Northern Portugal character.

[edit] City parts and zones

[edit] A Ver-o-Mar

[edit] Agro-Velho

[edit] Bairro Norte

[edit] Centro

  • Junqueira
  • Praça do Almada
  • Avenida Mouzinho de Albuquerque

[edit] Bairro Sul

  • Bairro Sul
    • Colmeia dos Pescadores / Lapa
    • Bairro dos Pescadores
    • Póvoa 7

[edit] Parque da Cidade

[edit] Barreiros/Moninhas

[edit] Matriz/Mariadeira

[edit] Giesteira

  • Giesteira / Belém
    • Arroteias
    • Barreiros (nascente) / Bouca do Monte

[edit] Gândara

[edit] Argivai

[edit] External links

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