Castro Laboreiro is an old Portuguese parish in the municipality of Melgaço,
located in Serra da Peneda, in the middle of the Castro Laboreiro plateau.
The old town, with an area of 89.29 km² and 540 inhabitants (2011 Census),
is located on the northeast slope of Serra da Peneda and on the west slope
of Serra de Laboreiro. Its population density was 6 inhab/km².
The
parish was extinguished and added by the administrative reorganization of
2012/2013, with its territory being integrated into the Union of Parishes of
Castro Laboreiro and Lamas de Mouro.
It was a town and county seat
between 1134 and 1855. It consisted only of the parish of the seat and had,
in 1801, 1284 inhabitants and, in 1849, 1512 inhabitants.
It was
again elevated to village status on June 12, 2009.
Curral do Gonçalo,
in the parish of Castro Laboreiro, is located at an altitude of 1166 meters,
making it the 2nd highest inhabited place in Portugal.
Natural patrimony
Laboreiro Waterfall
Built Heritage
Castro Laboreiro Castle or Castro Laboredo Castle - 12th century
Church of Santa Maria da Visitação or Mother Church of Castro Laboreiro
Aqueduct of Pontes, Cruzeiro and Alminhas
Chapel of São Brás
Quingosta Cruise / Harbor Cruise
Building of the former Judicial
Court
Building of the old Town Hall
Hermitage of Our Lady of
Anamão
Padieira da Assureira
Pelourinho de Castro Laboreiro - 1560
Community Ovens
Community ovens were used by locals to bake rye
and wheat bread, "broas" or "boroas". Three are listed by IGESPAR, and
at least one is still in use, the Ameijoeira oven.
Community Oven
in the Ammeijoeira
Campelo community oven
Pontes community oven
Bridges and Mills
Castro Laboreiro has one of the most
homogeneous and interesting collections of historic bridges, whose
relevance is reinforced by the fact that almost all of them prove how
the Middle Ages reused ancient structures from Roman times, causing some
to present a mixed appearance, the result of two phases different usage.
Assureira Bridge or São Brás Bridge and water mill at the east of
the bridge, over the Barreiro river
Cainheiras Bridge
Bridge of
Dorna, over the brook of Dorna
Ponte Nova or Cavada Velha bridge,
over the Castro Laboreiro river
Porto do Sineiro bridge
harbors
bridge
Rodeiro Bridge, over the Castro Laboreiro river
Varziela
Bridge, over the Varziela stream
Ponte da Veiga
Old Bridge of
Castro Laboreiro, over the river Castro Laboreiro
Mills of Castro
Laboreiro
Archaeological Sites
On the Castro Laboreiro
plateau, which extends eastwards to the border with Spain, there is a
reference to a set of about 62 funerary monuments, mostly made up of
earth mound, lithic armor and megalithic chamber. The necropolis extends
into Galician territory where around 30 monuments close to the border
are listed. About a quarter of these parish monuments are isolated
monuments, often dominant in the landscape. The remaining monuments are
organized in groups next to the main natural gates and the sources of
the Castro Laboreiro river and its tributaries.
Cremation Altar
at Alto da Cremadoura
Altar of the Fair
Fieiral Rock Engravings
Mamoa 1 from Alto da Portela do Pau
Mamoa 1 of Corga das Anta
Mamoa 2 from Alto da Portela do Pau
Mamoa 3 from Alto da Portela do
Pau
Mamoa 6 from Alto da Portela do Pau
Our Lady of Numão
Settlement SE of Castelo de Castro Laboreiro
Rego do Align
The resident population of Castro Laboreiro, had a population of 726
individuals, of which 287 were men and 439 women, according to the last
Census (2001). In the last legislative elections of 2009, the electoral
register showed the number of 933 registered, which indicates a slight
growth in the local population during the last years.
Castro
Laboreiro suffered from the migratory flow that was more marked from the
second half of the 20th century onwards. The precarious living
conditions, the harsh mountain climate, the scarcity of financial
resources and the absence of the State, formed the set of motivations
that boosted migration processes in the 60s. The decrease in population
in the 80s and 90s result more from the aging of the population than
from its departure.
In the field of promoting Castro culture, Castro Laboreiro has, in
addition to several hotel and tourism establishments, other collective
facilities, including:
Museum Nucleus
Leisure Space of Campo
das Veigas
civic center
Information Center and Library
The religious aspect is very striking, with chapels in many places in the parish, where religious festivals take place, meaning a moment of faith and coexistence.
July
Our Lady of Visitation (Parish Church)
São Bento (Várzea
Travessa)
August
Our Lady of Boavista (Cainheiras)
Senhor do
Bom Fim (Ribeiro de Cima)
Senhor da Oliveira (Ribeiro de Baixo)
Our Lady of Monserrate (Coriscadas)
Our Lady of Remedies (Rodeiro)
September
Our Lady of Numão (Anamão)
Lord of the Good Death
(Ameijoeira)
San Blas (Assureira)
San Miguel (Mareco)