Freixo Village (Aldeia do Freixo) - Marco Canaveses / Riding Portug...

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Aldeia do Freixo - Marco Canaveses.jpg

When I'm driving I don't have much of an opportunity to appreciate what surrounds me, but as in my profession details can make or break a deal, I tend to pay attention to details.
One of these days when I was returning from Guimarães I saw a sign that said Tongobriga. As soon as I managed to stop the car, I wrote down the name so I wouldn't forget it and then I went searching. All places that can tell a little history capture our interest and that's why we went to visit this archaeological area. As I already told you, seeing stones, ruins and sculptures is not what brings children the most joy these days. However, we try to make these visits as memorable as we can, inventing stories about the past so that our girl can retain information.

For the first time we were guided by a person who explained to us how a Roman and Castro village worked, as well as the bathhouses and activities inherent there. Contrary to what one might think and what we see in films, in the Roman era, bathhouses were used at different times of the day by men and women and not all at the same time. But that part is for later... Now I'm going to talk about Aldeia do Freixo, where this archaeological area is located. I can already say that it is very beautiful, it has been completely restored and that it was another place where I wouldn't mind living or spending long periods of time.
It's incredible to think that Tongobriga is underneath the entire village of Freixo and that it was discovered out of necessity.

Old houses from the times of the Empire, without roofs but still standing, were transformed into stables or market tents, the rooms converted into open areas in a backyard where there is a water well.
Until the end of the 18th century, Tongobriga and Freixo were almost indistinguishable due to the marked presence of ruins in the spaces and few buildings.
Due to strong erosion and the many loose stones from the ruins, the land on the hill where Tongobriga stood did not produce anything and for this reason had no value.

At the end of the 18th century, the increase in population in rural areas forced the use of previously abandoned land and it was there that the true separation between Tongobriga and Santa Maria do Freixo occurred.
Abandoned lands were cleared, walls, plots and fields were multiplied, tons of earth were transported from fertile sites to give productive capacity to soils that previously produced nothing. In this way the village grew.

It is a pleasant and historic place to visit, which is part of the “Historical Villages of Portugal”. Highlights include the parish church of Santa Maria (built on the ruins of Roman houses with mosaics) and the Manor House built by order of the Captain-Major of Canaveses, named António de Serpa Pinto, at the time of the French Invasions.