Hi everyone, this is the first time i’ve created a post on Local Guides Connect and it wouldn’t make sense if it wasn’t to let you know my hometown, if something is wrong or can be improved please tell to teach me.
The city of Chaves is located in the north of Portugal, is part of the district of Vila Real and has about 41 thousand inhabitants, there are numerous vestiges present here by prehistoric civilizations that lead to admitting the existence of settlements in the distant Paleolithic period, it is considered from this period to be a stone instrument found on the slope of the Brunheiro mountain range. However, the findings from the Neolithic are abundant, from the Chalcolithic of Mairos, Pastoria, S.Lourenço, etc. and from the proto-historical civilizations, namely in the multiple Castros located on top of the hills that surround the entire Alto Tâmega region.
At the time of the Roman invasion of the Iberian Peninsula, the Romans settled in the valley of the river Tâmega, where the city now stands, to cross the river they built the bridge of Trajano (Roman Bridge) erected between the end of the 1st century and the beginning of the 2nd (It is believed that the bridge of Trajan was built with the help of the legionnaires of the Seventh Legion (Legio VII Gemina Felix).) and making use of natural mineral-medicinal hot waters, they built Roman thermal spas.
Being this place of enormous importance, it was elevated to the category of municipality with the name of AquÆ FlaviÆ (Flavian Waters in Latin) in the year 79 AD when Tito Flávio Vespasiano, the first capit of the Flávia family dominated.
When the Roman occupation was at its greatest during the 5th century began a gradual arrival of the commonly dubbed barbarians who were the Suevic, Visigoths and Alans from Eastern Europe who thus put an end to Roman colonization. The wars between Remismundo and Frumário, in the dispute for the right to the throne, resulted in the almost total destruction of the city.
The barbarian rule lasted until the Moors, from North Africa, invaded the region and defeated Rodrigo, the last Visigothic monarch, in the beginning of the 8th century causing resident populations to flee to the northwestern mountains. The re-conquest of the city from the Moors was in the 9th century, by D. Afonso, King of Leão, however soon after in the beginning of the 10th century it returned to the power of the Moors, until in the 11th century King Afonso III of Leão reconquered it.
It was around 1160 that Chaves integrates the country that was already Portugal, due to being a city bordering Spain, it was vulnerable to attacks, so D. Dinis(1279-1325) ordered the construction of its castle and the walls that still dominate much of the city and its periphery, to complete the defensive structures two forts were also built (In the modern age one of them was remodeled and created a hotel.).
Due to the importance of the city in several battles that ensured the “survival of Portugal” as a tribute, its name was given to one of the capital’s avenues (Avenida Defensores de Chaves). On March 12, 1929, Chaves was elevated to the category of city.
I hope you enjoyed getting to know my city, there is a lot to visit here, from one of the best preserved Roman monuments in the Iberian Peninsula, Roman thermal baths, castles and military architecture as well as plenty of places to explore nature. In the future, if you like, i can create posts to talk and show places to visit in the city.
And i’m really sorry for the long post but i love my city and i really like to share my city with other people.
Hugs.