Bairro da Matriz (In Portuguese it means Mother/First Church Quarter) is the historical neighbourhood of the
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
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*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
city of
Póvoa de Varzim
Póvoa de Varzim (, ) is a Portugal, Portuguese city in Norte Region, Portugal, Northern Portugal and sub-region of Greater Porto, from its city centre. It sits in a sandy coastal plain, a cuspate foreland, halfway between the Minho River, Minho ...
and part of the Matriz/Mariadeira district.
180px, left, Matriz/Mariadeira district in the city of Póvoa de Varzim.
Eça de Queiroz Square.
Bairro da Matriz was a significant settlement in the 14th century, whose nucleus was the centre, whence the modern city grew, being a neighbourhood composed by old single family homes.
History
In 1308, King Denis wrote a charter in which the King gave his royal land in Varzim to 54 local families; these would have to create a "Póvoa", a new settlement in Varzim, just south of the primitive Roman and Early Medieval core of the Town of Varzim, controlled by knights under a feudal structure.
Praça Velha
Praça Velha (Old Square), formerly known as Praça (Square), was the primitive civic center and the market square of the city of Póvoa de Varzim in Portugal. It is located in Bairro da Matriz historic district and is surrounded by the main chur ...
, the new civic center appears in this context, in the site of the "Póvoa Nova de Varzim" (The New Settlement of Varzim), which included the free fair, the town hall and a new church - the Madre Deus Church.
On February 18, 1743, the new First Church of Póvoa de Varzim started to be constructed near the town hall. By the end of the 18th century, it was noticeable that the Town Hall and the square were too small for an expanding urbanity, and the Royal Provision in 1791, created the
Praça Nova
A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true geometric square, used for community gatherings. ...
(the New Square) where the new Town Hall was built.
Festivals
The main festivals of the neighbourhood are the Saint Anthony on June 13 in Cidral Square; Matriz's Saint Peter on June 29, Senhor do Bonfim in Nova Sintra area, and the Senhora das Dores festival on September 15.
Neighbourhoods of Póvoa de Varzim
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