Valença (, ), also known as Valença do Minho, is a municipality and a town in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 14,127,Instituto Nacional de Estatística
/ref> in an area of 117.13 km².Áreas das freguesias, concelhos, distritos e país
/ref> Valença officially became a city on 12 June 2009. The municipality is located in

Viana do Castelo District The Viana do Castelo District ( pt, Distrito de Viana do Castelo ) is a district located in the northwest of Portugal, bordered on the north by Spain ( Galicia) and on the south by Braga District. It has an area of and a population of 252,011 (2 ...

. The present Mayor is Jorge Mendes, elected by the Social Democratic Party (PSD). The municipal holiday is 18 February.

Parishes

Administratively, the municipality is divided into 11 civil parishes (''

freguesias ''Freguesia'' (), usually translated as "parish" or "civil parish", is the third-level administrative subdivision of Portugal, as defined by the 1976 Constitution. It is also the designation for local government jurisdictions in the former Port ...

''): * Boivão * Cerdal * Fontoura * Friestas * Gandra e Taião * Ganfei * Gondomil e Sanfins * São Julião e Silva *

São Pedro da Torre São Pedro da Torre () is a Portuguese civil “parish” (''freguesia''), located in the municipality of Valença. The population in 2011 was 1,267,Minho River The Minho ( , ) or Miño ( , , ; cel-x-proto, Miniu) is the longest river in Galicia, sharing the border with Portugal, with a length of . By discharge, it is the fourth river of the Iberian peninsula, after the Douro, Ebro, and Tagus. The Mi ...

, approximately 25 km from the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

. The municipality is limited to the north with

Minho River The Minho ( , ) or Miño ( , , ; cel-x-proto, Miniu) is the longest river in Galicia, sharing the border with Portugal, with a length of . By discharge, it is the fourth river of the Iberian peninsula, after the Douro, Ebro, and Tagus. The Mi ...

establishing the border with

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, to south-southeast with the municipality of

Paredes de Coura Paredes de Coura () is a municipality in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 9,198, in an area of 138.19 km2. The municipality is located in the district of Viana do Castelo. The present Mayor is Prof. Vitor Paulo Pereira, elected by the Soc ...

, to southwest with

Vila Nova de Cerveira Vila Nova de Cerveira (, ) is a municipality in the district of Viana do Castelo in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 9,253,Monção Monção () is a municipality in the district of Viana do Castelo in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 19,230, in an area of 211.31 km2. The current Mayor is the Social Democrat António Barbosa. The municipal holiday is March 12. Climat ...

. Linked to the wall rises the new quarter, where buildings such as social facilities, schools, the stadium and sports centre, the health care centre, the municipal market and the municipal swimming pools are located. Concerning cuisine, Valença offers genuine delicacies such as ''Lampreia à Minhota'' (

lamprey Lampreys (sometimes inaccurately called lamprey eels) are an ancient extant lineage of jawless fish of the order Petromyzontiformes , placed in the superclass Cyclostomata. The adult lamprey may be characterized by a toothed, funnel-like s ...

), ''Cabrito à Sanfins'' (

kid Kid, Kids, KIDS, and K.I.D.S. may refer to: Common meanings * Colloquial term for a child or other young person ** Also for a parent's offspring regardless of age * Engage in joking * Young goats * The goat meat of young goats * Kidskin, leath ...

), ''Bacalhau à São Teotónio'' (dried

codfish Cod is the common name for the demersal fish genus ''Gadus'', belonging to the family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and one species that belongs to genus ''Gadus'' is commonly not calle ...

) and ''Empanada'' (meat or fish pie).

History

Valença origins date back from

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

times. The two existent

Roman roads Roman roads ( la, viae Romanae ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, and were built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Re ...

are the proof (the Via IV of Antonine

Itinerary XIX Itinerary or Itineraries or Itinerarium may refer to: Travel * Itinerarium, an Ancient Roman road map in the form of a listing of cities, villages, and other stops, with the intervening distances * ''Itinerarium Burdigalense'', also known as the ...

, of military use, and the designated per loca marítima -

Itinerary XX Itinerary or Itineraries or Itinerarium may refer to: Travel * Itinerarium, an Ancient Roman road map in the form of a listing of cities, villages, and other stops, with the intervening distances * ''Itinerarium Burdigalense'', also known as the ...

-, of commercial use). Also inside the fortified walls a

Roman milestone Roman roads ( la, viae Romanae ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, and were built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Re ...

marks the XLII mile of the road connecting

Braga Braga ( , ; cel-x-proto, Bracara) is a city and a municipality, capital of the northwestern Portuguese district of Braga and of the historical and cultural Minho Province. Braga Municipality has a resident population of 193,333 inhabitants (in ...

to Tui. This stronghold was populated by order of King Sancho I during the 12th century. It was called ''Contrasta'' which means "village opposed to another", Tui (

) in this case. King

Afonso III Afonso III (; rare English alternatives: ''Alphonzo'' or ''Alphonse''), or ''Affonso'' (Archaic Portuguese), ''Alfonso'' or ''Alphonso'' (Portuguese-Galician) or ''Alphonsus'' (Latin), the Boulonnais ( Port. ''o Bolonhês''), King of Portugal ( ...

changed its name to Valença in the 13th century. Its historical importance is mainly due to military constraints. It had a decisive role for the defense and integrity of

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

from the neighbouring

. Today the town is peacefully invaded by the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

that visit it with commercial and touristic purposes, the Portuguese still use the fortress.

Attractions

*The fortress :The most interesting things to visit are mainly inside the fortress that looks down to the

and Galicia. They have been destroyed several times whether it were the

Barbarians A barbarian (or savage) is someone who is perceived to be either uncivilized or primitive. The designation is usually applied as a generalization based on a popular stereotype; barbarians can be members of any nation judged by some to be less c ...

, the

Moors The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a distinct or ...

, the armies of

Asturias Asturias (, ; ast, Asturies ), officially the Principality of Asturias ( es, Principado de Asturias; ast, Principáu d'Asturies; Galician-Asturian: ''Principao d'Asturias''), is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in nor ...

and

Leon Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again fro ...

or even the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

troops in the 19th century, they have always been restored and still very well preserved. :Valença's fortress is a piece of gothic and baroque military architecture. The first walls were built in the 13th century. It was upgraded during the 17th and 18th century forming the present bulwarked system. It is placed on top of two small hills and it is formed by two polygons (the ''Recinto Magistral'' and the ''Coroada'') separated by a ditch and with four doors (''Coroada'', ''Gaviarra'', ''Fonte da Vila'' and ''Sol''). The main entrance is ''Porta do Sol'' (Sun's door). This door was damaged during the Napoleonic invasions. *The old international bridge :In 1879

and

agreed to construct a bi-functional (road and train) bridge. The bridge was inspired by Eiffel works. The bridge is still in use although a new bridge was built south of the older one. *Roman milestone :Located inside the fortress this

dates back from the 1st century AD. It has the following inscription: :TIBERIUS CLAUDIUS CAESER AUGUSTUS GERMANICUS PONTIFEX MAXIMUS. IMPERATOR V CONSUL III, TRIBUNICIA POTESTATE III. PATER PATRIAE BRACARA XLII. :It marks 42 Roman miles' (62 km) distance on the road from

to Tui and the

Emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

Claudius Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54) was the fourth Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Nero Claudius Drusus, Drusu ...

ordered its construction when the Via IV of Antonine was rebuilt. *Church of

Saint Stephen Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ''Stéphanos'', meaning "wreath, crown" and by extension "reward, honor, renown, fame", often given as a title rather than as a name; c. 5 – c. 34 AD) is traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first ...

:A romanic church built during the 13th century and a neo-classic rebuilt during the 18th century. Inside several panels representing scenes

life can be admired. *Church of

Saint Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

of Angels :Romanic church built during the 12th century. The popular decoration and the ceiling are the eye-catcher. *The cannons :Along the north wall several old cannons very well maintained are positioned pointing to the river and Galicia as if to remind of their old purpose. *Statue of ''São Teotónio'' :''

São Teotónio São Teotónio is a civil parish in the municipality of Odemira, Portugal. The population in 2011 was 6,439,Afonso Henriques Afonso I of PortugalOr also ''Affonso'' (Archaic Portuguese-Galician) or ''Alphonso'' (Portuguese-Galician) or ''Alphonsus'' (Latin version), sometimes rendered in English as ''Alphonzo'' or ''Alphonse'', depending on the Spanish or French inf ...

. He is the village patron saint.

Photo gallery

Image:Valença_-_Rua_C_Lopes_da_Silva.jpg, Inside the fortified walls Image:Valença - Vista sobre o rio Minho.jpg, View over Minho River Image:Valença - Portas da Coroada.jpg, Door entrance of the fortified walls Image:Valença - Canhão.jpg, Cannon File:Lindberg Friestas2.JPG, Monument of

Charles Lindbergh Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, author, inventor, and activist. On May 20–21, 1927, Lindbergh made the first nonstop flight from New York City to Paris, a distance o ...

in Friestas, Valença

Notable people

Theotonius of Coimbra Theotonius (c. 1082 - 1162) was a Canon Regular and royal advisor. He is noted in Portugal, for being the first prior of the Monastery of the Holy Cross in Coimbra, Portugal. He is celebrated as the reformer of religious life in Portugal, and is ...

(ca.1082 - 1162) ''(São Teotónio)'' a

Canon Regular Canons regular are priests who live in community under a rule ( and canon in greek) and are generally organised into religious orders, differing from both secular canons and other forms of religious life, such as clerics regular, designated by a ...

, royal advisor and the first Portuguese saint. *

Francisco Xavier da Silva Pereira, 1st Count of Antas Francisco Xavier da Silva Pereira, 1st Count of Antas (14 March 1793 in Valença – 20 May 1852 in Lisbon) was a Portuguese nobleman and a leading soldier of the period of the Liberal Wars. Life The son of a military family, he served in t ...

(1793–1852) a nobleman and a soldier during the

Liberal Wars The Liberal Wars (), also known as the Portuguese Civil War (), the War of the Two Brothers () or Miguelite War (), was a war between liberal constitutionalists and conservative absolutists in Portugal over royal succession that lasted from 18 ...

. * António Sampaio da Nóvoa (born 1954) an academic professor and unsuccessful independent candidate in the

2016 Portuguese presidential election The 2016 Portuguese presidential election was held on 24 January. This election chose the successor to the President Aníbal Cavaco Silva, who was constitutionally not allowed to run for a third consecutive term. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the cand ...

. * Inês Fernandes (born 1988) a Portuguese Paralympic athlete

References

External links

Municipality official websiteCasa do Poço PalaceQuinta Grande Raposeira
- Website in Portuguese

- Website in Portuguese
Valença Radio 91.7
- Website in Portuguese
A V Minho Bus Company
Local buses and buses to Porto
Autna Bus Company
Buses to and from Vigo (Spain). {{DEFAULTSORT:Valenca, Portugal Towns in Portugal Municipalities of Viana do Castelo District Portugal–Spain border crossings