Amarante is a Portuguese city located in the sub-region of Tâmega and Sousa,
belonging to the North region and the district of Porto.
It is the
seat of the Municipality of Amarante, which has a total area of 301.33 km2,
52,116 inhabitants in 2021 and a population density of 173 inhabitants per
km2, subdivided into 26 parishes. The municipality is limited to the north
by the municipality of Celorico de Basto, to the northeast by Mondim de
Basto, to the east by Vila Real and Santa Marta de Penaguião, to the south
by Baião, Marco de Canaveses and Penafiel, to the west by Lousada and to the
northwest by Felgueiras.
Commerce and services are mainly centered in
the city of Amarante. The current mayor of Amarante is José Luís Gaspar,
from the Social Democratic Party.
To arrive
By airplane
The most convenient airports for Amarante
are (in order of distance):
Vila Real Airfield - The small
airfield in the neighboring city of Vila Real receives some flights from
other cities in the country, but no international flights.
Francisco
Sá Carneiro Airport - Porto - Porto is served by Francisco Sá Carneiro
Airport (IATA: OPO) (tel.: (229 432 400;) - which receives frequent
flights from the main European cities, including London, Madrid, Paris,
Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Brussels, as well as some destinations within
the country, such as Lisbon and Madeira/Funchal, TAP also has a daily
direct flight from São Paulo and another from Rio de Janeiro.
Portela
Airport - Lisbon - Portela International Airport is the largest
Portuguese airport, and has air connections with the main cities in
Europe and some in North and South America, Africa and Asia.
by
train/train
Going by train to Amarante is, at the moment, impossible,
due to the suppression of the line between Amarante and Livração, which
in turn connects to Porto. However, you can always get on the train in
Porto and make the rest of the journey by bus, as this is covered by
that means. Train timetables can be consulted on the Comboios de
Portugal website.
by bus/coach
The Bus Station is about 3
minutes from the city center. There are buses arriving from various
destinations across the country and departing for many others.
Twice a day, all week, Rodo-norte [5] (tel.: +351 259 340 710; fax:+351
259 340 729; geral@rodonorte.pt) operates a bus service between Lisbon
and Amarante, one at 11:00 am and the other at 6:00 pm, for the price of
€18. In addition to these buses, Rodonorte also runs buses from Porto (5
times a day, at 7:00 am, 2:30 pm, 4:30 pm, 6:00 pm and 9:20 pm; price:
€6.40) and Viana do Castelo (Monday to Friday, at 8:30 am ; price
€10.80), among other destinations. See the website for more information.
By car
The best way to drive to Amarante is using the A4 motorway
if you are coming from Porto or the IP4 highway if you are coming from
the North or Spain. Just take any exit towards Amarante and you will be
5 minutes from the city centre. The city is located about 1 hour from
Porto and 5 hours from Lisbon.
On foot
Amarante is a small town and you can easily see all its
monuments on foot - in addition, cars cannot enter most of the streets
in the historic center, and you can see the city much better on foot.
By car
Riding a car is a bad idea in Amarante. At certain times
of the year, Amarante is invaded by visitors, who fill the streets,
creating impossible traffic, and occupy the car parks, which in
themselves are few. And you don't have to take a car either, the city is
so small that it can be covered entirely on foot.
Of boat
On
the bank of a river, they rent small pedal boats, which are an excellent
way to appreciate the city and the river. Of course, it doesn't take you
to any of the city's monuments (except the bridge), but it's a great way
to while away some time.
Casa da Cerca (Albano Sardoeira Municipal Library),
Alameda Teixeira de Pascoaes, 255420236 ✆, fax: 255420236. The Municipal
Library is the result of the former Convent of Santa Clara, perhaps
built in the 13th century. The most likely date, however, is 1383, when
D. João I granted the nuns a letter of protection. It was burned down
later, in April 1809, during the French Invasions. It was later
transformed into the building you see today by an emigrant from Brazil -
not without extensive archaeological research, which exposed many
artifacts. Nowadays it is the Municipal Archive and Library of Amarante.
Monastery of São Gonçalo Praça da República. Before the existence of the
monastery, there was a chapel here, erected by São Gonçalo de Amarante.
In 1540, it was transformed into a large monastery with the construction
of a Dominican convent in honor of São Gonçalo, with the authorization
and help of D. João III and his wife, Queen Dª Catarina. The
construction of the Church and Convent ended during the time of Filipe
I, before 1600. The construction of the portico and the Balcony of the
Kings began on 12 October 1683. The tomb of São Gonçalo stands out in
the church, a magnet for several pilgrims.
Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso
Museum, Alameda Teixeira de Pascoaes, 255420233 ✆, fax: 255420203.
Closed on Mondays and holidays; open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00
am to 12:30 pm and from 2:00 pm to 5:30 pm. Located in the cloister of
the Monastery of São Gonçalo, it was founded in 1947 by Albano Sardoeira
in order to gather materials from the history of Amarante. Over the
years, he specialized in contemporary art, bringing together one of the
most important collections in the country, which includes works by
Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso, António Carneiro, Jaime Isidoro, Nadir Afonso,
Rui Pimental and Cargaleiro. €2.50 for an adult ticket.
Igreja de São
Domingos Rua Frei José Marante (Go up the stairs from Praça da
República; if you prefer to take a less steep and less crooked path, you
can do it despite being longer: go up Rua 5 de Outubro, continue along
Teixeira de Vasconcelos and go up Rua Frei José Marante, passing through
Largo de Santa Clara and down the street to the church). Next to the
monastery, at the top of a gigantic staircase, you can find a small
church dedicated to Senhor dos Aflitos. It is better known as the Igreja
de São Domingos, as it was built at the behest of the Order of São
Domingos in the early 18th century. In Baroque style, in the style of
the 17th century, it has a beautiful chancel covered in gilded carving.
Church of São Pedro Rua Teixeira de Vasconcelos/Largo de São Pedro. Once
the site of a small chapel dedicated to Saint Martin, the Church of
Saint Peter belonged to the Brotherhood of Clerics of Saint Peter. It
has a beautiful chancel from the 18th century, designed by António
Gomes. The altar has a very rich gilded carving, with columns that frame
the images of São Pedro and São Paulo. At the top of the tower are the
cross and the papal tiara.
São Gonçalo Bridge Praça da República.
True ex-libris of the city, it connects two squares of Amarante,
including Praça da República, where you can find the monastery, another
ex-libris. Before this bridge, a national monument, there was another
one, dating from the 13th century and which was destroyed by a flood of
the Tâmega river. In the middle of the bridge there was a cross, taken
an hour before the tragic event, which can still be seen in one of the
windows of the Monastery of São Gonçalo. The current one was built in
the 17th century. In 1809 it was the scene of the heroic Defense of the
Bridge of Amarante, an episode resulting from the French Invasions. In
memory of this event, there is a commemorative plaque on the north side
of the bridge.
Solar dos Magalhães Largo de Santa Luzia. Located in
Largo de Santa Luzia, it is an 18th-century ruin, set on fire in 1809 by
Napoleon's armies, during the French Invasions, as a retaliation for the
prolonged resistance of the Amarante people. Once a majestic manor
house, it stands on a row of arches, topped by a colonnade.
São Gonçalo Bridge
Church and Convent of São Gonçalo
Church of São Domingos and Museum of
Sacred Art
St. Peter's Church
Sidewalk House
Solar dos
Magalhães
Amarante Forest Park
Municipal Museum Amadeo de
Souza-Cardoso
Ecopista of the Tâmega Line
In the county:
Easter House
Monastery of Travanca
Monastery of Freixo de Baixo
Serra do Marão
Pedestrian Routes, PR1 and PR2
Amarante Water Park
Amarante Golf Course
Parties
Festivities of São Gonçalo - June
Festivities
MIMO Festival
Procession of the Devils - Feast of the
Devils of Amarante
Gastronomy
Convent sweets from Amarante
(Papos de Anjo, Lérias, Bolos de S. Gonçalo, Rockets, Brisas do Tâmega)
Green wine
Oven-roasted kid, Maronesa veal
Events
Pilgrimage of São Gonçalo. First weekend of
June. The city's calling card, it is celebrated in honor of São Gonçalo,
a matchmaker whose cult is associated with fertility and who lived in
Amarante. It is customary for unmarried women to embrace the saint and
ask him for a husband. Simultaneously, there is an annual fair, a
festival.
Activities
Visit the Amarante Water Park, Rua do
Tâmega, nº 2245 4600-909 Fregim - Amarante (If you come from the A4 or
IP4 towards Amarante, take the exit for Amarante Oeste. Go through the
roundabout, going straight ahead, and from there follow the signs.),
+351 255 410 040 / 255 446 648 ✆, fax: +351 255 431 978,
tamegadesporto@mota-engil.pt. Open June-September, from 10:30 am to 7:00
pm. Slide down one of the many slides or other attractions at the only
water park in the north of the country! An adult ticket costs €10 on
weekends and €8 on other days.
Take a swing at Amarante Golf Club,
Quinta da Deveza, Fregim, Amarante, 255 446 060 ✆. Tuesday to Friday
from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm / Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm. A
magnificent mountain course with 18 holes and a course, located on the
outskirts of the city. From its position, 600 meters above sea level,
there is a magnificent view of the Serra do Marão and the Tâmega River.
The weekend price for the 18 holes is around €75.
Get a good view of
the city. Cross the bridge to the south side (for reference, the
monastery is on the north side) and go to the river bank. From here you
have a great view of the bridge, the monastery and the houses on the
riverbank. If you prefer a more "aerial" view, go up the stairs to the
Igreja de São Domingos, from where you can enjoy a beautiful view of the
monastery, the river and the opposite bank, and walk down Rua Frei José
Amarante to Largo de Santa Clara, from where you can enjoy the best view
of Amarante, overlooking the south bank of the river, a good part of the
north bank, and the entire monastery, including the cloisters, where the
Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso Museum is located.
Give it to the pedal. On
the river bank (go down Alameda Teixeira de Pascoaes until you reach
some pedestrian walkways; go down them until you reach a strange-looking
building, the market; go to the back of the market and follow to the
river bank; look for) you can see a series of pedal "boats" that you can
rent, and that offer a great view of the river and the bridge. It
doesn't have a good view of the city, but you can still see some of its
buildings, like the monastery. A good way to pass the time.
There are no shopping centers in Amarante. These are
your options.
Historic center. The historic center of Amarante is
full of shops, especially in the area around the monastery. Throughout
the center you can find traditional stores and drugstores that are
quickly disappearing in the big cities.
Amarante Fair. 1st Saturday
of each month. Here you can find a bit of everything, mainly clothes,
but also fabrics, food and all kinds of trinkets, depending on the day
you go.
Amarante Market Rua do Capitão Augusto Casimiro. A beautiful
modernist building, surrounded by trees, where you can find various
types of food, but little else.
Gastronomy
The geographical location of the city,
between Minho/Douro Litoral and Trás-os-Montes (despite officially
belonging to the Douro Litoral) directly influenced the Amaranthine
cuisine, which contains characteristics of all these provinces.
Nowadays, Amaranthine cuisine is based on high-calorie dishes (bad fate
if you are on a diet or vegetarian) such as mountain goat, Arouquesa and
Maronesa veal, feijoada, tripe, Portuguese stew, cod, etc.
Particularly famous is the cod à Zé da Calçada and Custódia, which were
once the two most important restaurants in the city, competing with each
other for customers and trying to present the best cod. (Custódia cod is
no longer known by that name). Also common is chicken rice, the main
ingredients of which are chicken, rice and chicken blood. Amaranthine
sweets are also famous, namely egg custards, which go very well with a
Douro wine, produced not far from the city. All over the city you can
see pastry shops filled with delicious sweets, such as papos-de-angel,
rockets, lerias and Tâmega breezes. Also on the edge of the monastery,
in small stalls you can find sweets typical of the region, including
phallic-shaped sweets, which (supposedly) serve to encourage young
people to seek love, marriage and sexual relations, all in the name of
São Gonçalo, often nicknamed the "Portuguese Cupid".
restaurants
Casa Silva Larim, Gondar (Outside the city; located on the connecting
road between Amarante and Vila Real), 255 441 484 ✆. Open all days. A
little out of the way, but worth it. It is a recovered winery with a
beautiful view of the foothills of Serra do Marão. It is very popular
for meat dishes. 15-30€.
Largo do Paço, Largo do Paço, 6, 255410830
✆, fax: 255426670. Open every day, for lunch from 12:30 pm to 3:00 pm
and dinner from 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm. of modernity. The dishes on the
menu vary according to the season and the typical products. In 2005 it
was awarded a star by the renowned Michelin Guide.
Quinta da Lama
Vila Meã (Outside the city), 255733548 ✆. Closed Sundays at dinner and
Mondays. Dine in an old oil mill, currently transformed into a rustic
restaurant. It stands out in traditional Portuguese food, mainly the
“lagar” steak and codfish with migas. Prices are around €18.
D.
Catarino Avenida General Silveira (downtown), 255433057 ✆. Located in
the heart of the city, the menu includes a variety of Portuguese and
Italian dishes, including lasagna, tournedó and sole.
Restaurant
Adega Regional Kilowatt Rua 31 de Janeiro, 255433159 ✆. House of
traditional Portuguese snacks, specializing in ham and sausages. Around
€10.
The city is full of cafes and pastry shops filled with delicious
sweets characteristic of the region.
Spark Avenida Alexandre
Herculano, Amarante. Located in front of the Tâmega River, it has a
young atmosphere, despite being frequented by people of different
generations. Bar with background music, very popular.
Spázio Cyber
Café Rua Cândido dos Reis, São Gonçalo de Amarante, 255422652 ✆. Good
music in a bar with internet available to customers and great air with a
great atmosphere.
Pousada de Marão - São Gonçalo, Hotel de Natureza, 1P4, between
Amarante and Vila Real (20 km from Amarante), (+351) 255 460 030 ✆, fax:
(+351) 255 461 353, pousada.marao@gmail .with. In the heart of Serra do
Marão, with great views of the mountains and the river. Recently
renovated and expanded, it has a heated swimming pool and spa, and plans
to add a ski slope. Double room: 150€.
Casa da Calçada, Largo do
Paço, 6, (+351) 255 410 830 ✆, fax: (+351) 255 426 670,
reservas@casadacalcada.com. A hotel of exquisite charm on the south bank
of the Tâmega River, in the city center and with great views of the
river. A peaceful hotel with large gardens. It has a pool and
restaurant.
Casa da Levada, Travanca do Monte, 255433833 ✆,
contato@casalevada.com. A good hotel for those who want to spend a
peaceful holiday away from the city, with beautiful camellia and rose
gardens, close to Casa de Mateus, on the outskirts of Vila Real, and the
Alvão Natural Park.
Hotel Navarras, Rua António Carneiro, +351 255
431 036 ✆, fax: +351 255 432 991, hotelnavarras@tamegaclube.com. Located
just a few minutes' walk from the centre, on the south bank, the Hotel
Navarras offers 58 rooms, as well as a pleasant living room with bar, as
well as banquet and conference rooms.
Campismo Penedo da Rainha Rua
Pedro Alveollos Gatão, 255437630 ✆, fax: 255437353. Surrounded by a
forest, the Campismo de Penedo da Rainha is a place of great natural
beauty. It is located 1 km from Amarante, on the banks of the Tâmega
River. Pets are not allowed. It has a bar bar, hot showers, foot wash,
washing machine, dishwasher, washbasins with hot water, first aid
station, public telephone, sockets, and more.
Porto - Located on the banks of the Douro
River, bathed by the Atlantic Ocean, the second largest city in the
country has a bit of everything: narrow medieval streets, extravagant
baroque churches, small and cozy squares, and wide avenues with classic
buildings. It is one of the greatest Portuguese destinations, and a
UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Penafiel - A very old city, Penafiel is
in the heart of the region of granite and green wine, and receives many
visitors in the Festas do Corpo de Deus, the most characteristic
festivity of the city. Penafiel is a city full of beauties, but its
surroundings are also worth visiting, with monuments such as the
Monastery of São Salvador de Paço de Sousa and the Churches of São
Miguel de Eja and São Salvador da Gandra.
Vila Real - Located on the
banks of the river Corgo, in the heart of a mountainous region, the main
attraction of Vila Real (as in most cities in this region of the
country) is nature and heritage. The center of Vila Real is very
beautiful, but the real ex-libris of the city is outside: the
spectacular Palácio de Mateus.
Chaves - Chaves, in the heart of
Trás-os-Montes, is one of the most monumental cities in the country,
much visited for its heritage, much of it over 300 years old, and for
the spas, famous since the Roman temples, when it was known as Aquae
Flaviae. A short distance from Spain, it is also surrounded by grandiose
monuments, such as the Monasteries of Pitões das Júnias and Refojos de
Basto.
Serra do Marão - Tucked between the districts of Porto and
Vila Real, Serra do Marão is a majestic mountain range, which separates
the hydrographic basins of the rivers Tâmega and Corgo. Having Amarante
in its center, it belongs to the Ancient Massif, with an extension of 20
km.
Alto Douro Vinhateiro - It is the oldest demarcated region in the
world, and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of the most famous
wines in the world is produced here, port wine, on terraces by the
river, the calling card of the area, with several wine farms and
viewpoints open to tourism.
Quinta Pedagógica do Seixo, Seixo,
Amarante, 255 734 089 ✆, reservas@quintadoseixo.com. Tuesday to Friday,
from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm / Saturday, Sunday and Holidays from 10:00 am
to 5:30 pm. Integrated in a 17th century farmhouse, it offers various
educational activities in a magnificent landscape. It is especially
aimed at children, with the aim of instilling greater ecological
awareness and increasing their knowledge of animal and plant life. Entry
must be booked and costs €3.50.
Amarante probably had its origins in the primitive peoples who
inhabited the Serra da Aboboreira (inhabited since the Stone Age),
although the exact name of its founders is unknown. However, it only
began to acquire importance and visibility after the arrival of São
Gonçalo (1187-1259), born in Tagilde, Guimarães, who settled here after
traveling through Rome and Jerusalem. To this saint is attributed the
construction of the old bridge over the Tâmega River.
Amarante
became the target of pilgrimages and the population grew. In the 16th
century, D. João III orders the construction of the Monastery of São
Gonçalo over the chapel next to the bridge over the River Tâmega, where,
according to tradition, São Gonçalo lived and was buried.
In
1763, the old São Gonçalo Bridge collapsed due to the flooding of the
Tâmega River. In the following years it was rebuilt with the appearance
it still has today.
At the beginning of the 19th century,
Napoleon Bonaparte tries to invade Portugal and these French invasions
also passed over Amarante, being the scene of the heroic episode of the
Defense of the Bridge of Amarante that earned General Silveira the title
of Count of Amarante and the town of Amarante itself had the honor of
being awarded the necklace of the Military Order of the Tower and Sword,
of Valor, Loyalty and Merit which is reflected in its municipal coat of
arms. After this episode, plans were created for the reconstruction of
the village, as the French had burned down almost all of the houses.
The liberal reforms of the 19th century administratively reorganized
the territory and in 1855 the municipalities of Gouveia, Gestaço and
Santa Cruz de Ribatâmega were extinguished, with Amarante receiving most
of its parishes and even some from Celorico de Basto.
The
cultural apogee takes place at the beginning of the 20th century, thanks
to Amarantines like Teixeira de Pascoaes in letters and Amadeo de
Souza-Cardoso in painting.
She was made Dame of the Ancient and
Very Noble Military Order of the Tower and Sword, of Valor, Loyalty and
Merit on 21 November 1925.
Amarante acquired city status on the
8th of July 1985, which is also the date of its municipal holiday.
The municipality of Amarante is strongly marked by its relief. In
addition, it is also the largest municipality in the District of Porto,
with an area of around 30,000 hectares (301.3 km²). Crossed by the river
Tâmega, about 80% of the municipality's surface is below 600 meters of
altitude. However, this situation does not prevent one of the highest
mountain ranges in the country from being included there, the Marão,
which has peaks that reach 1415 meters, and the Aboboreira mountain
range. Other rivers that pass through the municipality are the Ovelha,
the Olo and the Odres.
The soil is mostly formed by granite, with
a predominance of biotite. There are also some shale areas scattered
throughout the municipality.
Municipal administration
The municipality of Amarante is
administered by a City Council, composed of the President and eight
councillors. There is a Municipal Assembly, which is the deliberative
body of the municipality, made up of 53 deputies, of which 26 are
Presidents of each parish in the municipality.
After the 2013
municipal elections, a president and three councilors are from the
Afirmar Amarante coalition (PSD/CDS-PP), four from the Socialist Party
(PS) and one from the independent movement Amarante Somos Todos. The
current Mayor of Amarante is José Luís Gaspar, from the PSD/CDS
coalition, who was elected for the first time to the position with
around 39% of the votes. Most seats in the municipal assembly and parish
councils are dominated by the PS.
Since the first free elections,
after the end of the Estado Novo period, there have been three distinct
phases in the partisan inclinations of the municipality. The council was
governed by the PSD between 1976 and 1985. However, from 1989 to 2013,
the PS won all the municipal councils, first with Francisco Assis
between 1989 and 1995, and then with Armindo Abreu, from 1995 to 2013.
In 1993 and in 1997, the PS secured the only absolute majorities in
local authorities in this municipality, with 58.8% and 58.48% of the
votes, respectively. In 2013, the PSD, in coalition with the CDS-PP, won
the presidency of the municipality again with José Luís Gaspar, although
without an absolute majority and with the PS a short distance away,
continuing to maintain the presidency of the municipal assembly and the
majority of the parish councils of the municipality.
The main economic activities in the county are agriculture, present
in all parishes, of which the production of green wines stands out.
Other important sectors are civil construction, wood processing, small
trade and industry.
Livestock, forestry, hotels and metalworking,
together with services, complete the economic fabric of the various
parishes that make up the municipality. Tourism is a sector with strong
potential, given the county's environmental and heritage
characteristics.
In the past, the secondary sector was one of the
main marks of progress in the county. However, as in several other
regions of the country, in recent years important furniture and
metalworking factories have closed down, which has affected the local
economy.
Media In the county there are several newspapers and
radios actively working. Among the many weekly or monthly municipal
editions, the «Jornal de Amarante», «Repórter do Marão», «Notícias de
Figueiró» and also the online magazine BIRD Magazine stand out.
In terms of radio, there are two: «GoloFM» (89.2) and «ERA FM - Emissora
Regional de Amarante» (92.7). Both broadcast in FM, with GoloFM being
part of a regional network of transmitters owned by João Vinhas, which
includes other local transmitters (94.8 Bombarral/West region and
96.0/105.6 Ponte de Sor, for Alentejo and Ribatejo) and which retransmit
the licensed broadcast for the municipality of Amarante, which can be
heard throughout the district of Porto and Minho. ERA FM is the main
local radio station in Amarante and broadcasts throughout the Sousa
Valley.