| Aveleda | |
| Civil Parish (Freguesia) | |
| Official name: Freguesia da Aveleda | |
| Country | Portugal |
|---|---|
| Region | Norte |
| Subregion | Alto Trás-os-Montes |
| District | Bragança |
| Municipality | Bragança |
| Center | Aveleda |
| - elevation | 708 m (2,323 ft) |
| - coordinates | |
| Length | 9.27 km (6 mi), North-South |
| Width | 10.51 km (7 mi), Wesat-East |
| Area | 62.2 km2 (24 sq mi) |
| Population | 253 (2001) |
| Density | 4.07 / km2 (11 / sq mi) |
| LAU | Freguesia/Junta Freguesia |
| President Junta | José Carlos Fernandes Valente (PS) |
| President Assembleia | Francisco António Chimeno (PS) |
| Timezone | WET (UTC0) |
| - summer (DST) | WEST (UTC+1) |
| ISO 3166-2 code | PT- |
| Postal Zone | 5300 - 411 Aveleda |
| Area Code & Prefix | (+351) 273 XXX XXX |
| Patron Saint | São Cipriano |
| Parish Address | 5300 - 411 Aveleda |
| Wikimedia Commons: Aveleda | |
| Statistics from INE (2001); geographic detail from Instituto Geográfico Português (2010) | |
Aveleda is a Portuguese civil parish in the municipality of Bragança. The population in 2001 was 253 inhabitants, in an area of 62.2 km² (density of 4.07/km²) along the northern border of Portugal.
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The parish of Aveleda derives its name from the village, whose toponymy has a number of significances. For one, there is the Roman interpreation, derived from the Roman Avé Leda, which means beautiful place.[1] While others assume that the name was derived from Veleda, a venerated Visigothic or Subic priest of the 4th century.[1] Another interpretation suggest that the name was derived from ave feliz.[1]
What is certain, is that this name only appeared during the 1250 Inquirições of Afonso III. This is because the area around Aveleda was under the protection of Spanish monasteries of Moreirola and San Martin de Castanheda.[1] It was here that the celebrated Abbott of Baçal was parish priest (between 1896 and 1910), always travelling by foot and complying a dossier of his thoughts in Memórias Arqueológico: Históricas do Distrito de Bragança, a twelve tome work detailing the municipal history.[1] In this case, he referred specifically to the village of Varge (on the southern perimeter of Aveleda), which was derived from varzena or varcena, a medieval term to designate artificial or natural low wetlands.[1] The wells in this area are also referred to by the local peoples as varja or varjas, literally fish traps.[2][1]
The Matriz Church, on a slight elevation, dates back to the 18th century.[1]
The bridge that crosses the Pepim River in Aveleda, constructed on stone, was completed in 1952.
Aveleda is located along the Portuguese-Spanish border within the Parque Natural de Montesinho (Montesinho Natural Park), three kilometres northeast of the municipal seat of Bragança.
It is characterized by hills and river-valleys, along a plateau with an average of 500 metres altitude. It is crossed by two water courses that flow from north to south: the Ribeira das Igrejas, which crosses the village of Varge, and the Ribeira de Pepim, which intersects the village of Aveleda.[1] Both ravines spring from the Serra de Pedralba, crossing from Spain, and flow as tributaries of the Sabor River.
There are several vistages of historical architecture and rural constructions in this parish, that include: the two main historical springs/wells (Fonte da Pinela and Fonte d'Aldeia), which were subterranean channels of potable water; watermills and ancient blacksmith's forge.[1]