280px, Anthropomorphic and zoomorphic portal in the Romanesque Church of Rates. Rates Ecomuseum (Portuguese: ''Ecomuseu de Rates'' or ''Ecomuseu de São Pedro de Rates'') is a historic countryside pedestrian circuit or

ecomuseum An ecomuseum is a museum focused on the identity of a place, largely based on local participation and aiming to enhance the welfare and development of local community, local communities. Ecomuseums originated in France, the concept being develope ...

in the parish of Rates in

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 ...

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 ...

. Highlights of the 8 km-long circuit are the Romanesque Church of Rates, the bell-tower of the former monastery, the Praça, the rural architecture using shale as a construction material, the local section of the

way of Saint James The Camino de Santiago ( la, Peregrinatio Compostellana, "Pilgrimage of Compostela"; gl, O Camiño de Santiago), known in English as the Way of St James, is a network of pilgrims' ways or pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint ...

, the countryside landscape, windmills, watermills and the linen, bread and

wine-making Winemaking or vinification is the production of wine, starting with the selection of the fruit, its fermentation into alcohol, and the bottling of the finished liquid. The history of wine-making stretches over millennia. The science of wine and w ...

cultures. The ecomuseum includes maps and plates with information in Portuguese and English.

History

The ecomuseum opened on April 21, 2007. Works started on eight stops (''estações''), for the first fase. Two more stops: ''Casa do Trabalhador Rural'' and ''Parque Ambiental'' were postponed for later development.São Pedro de Rates testemunha o seu passado agrícola – Inauguração do ECOMUSEU, Sábado, 21 de Abril, às 15h00
- CMPV The project was financed by the City Hall of Póvoa de Varzim with the support of the national government's Agris program on rural development, officially known as ''Programa Operacional Regional - Medida Agricultura e Desenvolvimento Rural''.

Main sights

*Romanesque Church of Rates - National monument. One of the most important, best-preserved and ancient Romanesque temples in Portugal (6th-13th century). This stop also includes the Church's museum. *Fonte de São Pedro de Rates - Fountain figuring in myths about the Christianization of the region (1st-9th century). *Santo António - 18th century Baroque Chapel of Santo António and Casa do Lavrador (Farmer's House). *Ancient Fountain and Lavadouro - used for drinking and washing area, respectively. *Praça - historical square, civic center in the early Middle Ages. *Windmill and Park near the Escola Agrícola (Farmer school) *Fonte do Pedro, a fountain *Fonte da Granja, a fountain *Azenha do Pego, a watermill

References

{{coord missing, Portugal Ecomuseums Landmarks in Póvoa de Varzim Museums in Póvoa de Varzim