Valadares is a former

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authorit ...

in the municipality of

Vila Nova de Gaia Vila Nova de Gaia (; cel-x-proto, Cale), or simply Gaia, is a city and a municipality in Porto District in Norte Region, Portugal. It is located south of the city of Porto on the other side of the Douro River. The city proper had a population ...

, Portugal. In 2013, the parish merged into the new parish Gulpilhares e Valadares. The population in 2011 was 10,678, in an area of 5.14 km².Eurostat
/ref> Today the shoreside vicinity is very popular for its nightlife and the bars along its well-known beach. It is also possible to see some old

sanatorium A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal, make healthy'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, are antiquated names for specialised hospitals, for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often ...

s used mostly in the 1940s and 1950s to treat people suffering from bone fractures and diseases like

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...

. The

s were established here because the region is extremely rich in iodine, valuable for its antiseptic uses in medicine. Valadares is also very famous for Cerâmica de Valadares that today it is considered the biggest and most varied National Manufacture provider of sanitary ware and ceramic fittings. There is a train station.

Coat of arms and flag

The

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

are made up of a ceramic

vase A vase ( or ) is an open container. It can be made from a number of materials, such as ceramics, glass, non-rusting metals, such as aluminium, brass, bronze, or stainless steel. Even wood has been used to make vases, either by using tree species ...

on the center with a dentate wheel behind, on the left is maize and on the right a shield over the water, on the bottom is water. The flag has two white and two blue squares. The ceramic vase with a dentate wheel represents the ceramic industry and the archaeological findings. The maize represents the fields in Vila Chá. The shield represents the shields of

coat of arms. The water represents the ocean and the beach of Valadares. The colors blue and white represent the ocean and foam of the waves.

History

The name Valadares originates from the word "Vallado", that means obstacle. That may be the "Crasto de Valadares" a fortification from the second period of the Iron Age (450 b.C.). This "Crastos" on the northwest of Iberian Peninsula, goes from the 5th century B.C. to AD 5th century. In the Middle Ages, Valadares belonged to the Monastery of Grijó. During the first half of the 20th century, Valadares enjoyed a considerable development, being one of the most developed parishes of Gaia, due to the existence of the Cerâmica de Valadares, one important Train Station, Sanatoriums, several Schools and a theatre ( Cine-teatro Eduardo Brazão).

Culture

There is a traditional dessert in Valadares - The " Velhote", a kind of sweet bread with lemon and cinnamon. The origin of this dessert isn't cleared yet, but most people believe that it was created in the 19th century by a lady who came from Braga. It is said that when king

Carlos I Carlos I may refer to: *Carlos I of Spain (1500–1558), also Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire *Carlos I of Portugal (1863–1908), King of Portugal *Juan Carlos I of Spain Juan Carlos I (;, * ca, Joan Carles I, * gl, Xoán Carlos I, ...

and queen Amelia went to

Oporto Porto or Oporto () is the second-largest city in Portugal, the capital of the Porto District, and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto city proper, which is the entire municipality of Porto, is small compared to its metropo ...

, they ate "Velhotes". The patron of Valadares is S. Salvador.

Media

Newspapers

* Valadares & a Cidade em Foco

Places

Valadares is divided in 13 places. * Aldeia * Barroco * Campolinho * Crasto * Chamorra * Estação * Pedreiras * Penedo * Praia de Valadares * Sameiros * Tartumil * Valadarinhos * Vila-Chã

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Valadares (Vila Nova De Gaia) Former parishes of Vila Nova de Gaia