Cortes do Meio takes refuge on the banks of its semi-glacial stream, on the southern slope of Serra da Estrela, a stream that paints the majestic fragões blue that we can carefully observe from any point in the village.
15 km from Covilhã, the parish of Cortes do Meio extends from the Penhas da Saúde plateau to the green plain of Ourondinho, which corresponds to 5 thousand hectares of restful beauty and colossal grandeur.
To this parish belong the places of Bouça, Cortes de Baixo, Ourondinho and Penhas da Saúde. Wedged between Unhais da Serra, Paul, Peso, Tortosendo, Vila do Carvalho, Manteigas and Covilhã, Cortes do Meio rises up through the charm of its contrasts, observable between the slopes and the deep valleys that hide secrets.
Patrimony
Church of S. Roque, Cortes do Meio
The date of its construction is unknown. According to the report of the elders, “that church was built before my grandmother was born and she died at the age of 100”. It was recently restored. Inside, you can admire several religious images, including the patron saint of this village, S. Roque, S. Joaquim, S. José, N. Sra. of Fátima and also an image that symbolizes the Holy Spirit, which as the inhabitants of this village say is unique in the parish, “because the Holy Spirit has no face, it is merely symbolic”.
Currently, the Igreja Matriz de Cortes do Meio has a very new and airy appearance, it has all been restored, and the placement of stained glass windows has greatly enhanced it. The churchyard is also now a very pleasant place.
Chapel of Our Lady of Carmo, Cortes do Meio
To know a little about the history of this chapel, there is nothing better than talking to one of its builders who said that if it weren’t for the willpower of some inhabitants of this village, “the chapel still did not exist today”, the purpose of this construction was to exercise pastoral, educational and religious action. Its founder was Mr. Joaquim Barata in 1958. Currently, it is in this chapel that the famous feast of Our Lady is celebrated. do Carmo and also where families say their last goodbyes to their deceased.
Inside this chapel, an image of N. Sra. do Carmo which is quite old.
Chapel of St. Joseph, Bouça
In very ancient times the chapel was not located where it is now, all religious celebrations took place in the house of one of the villagers. The date of its construction is very old and only the date of construction of the Bell Tower is known, which is 1937.
Chapel of Saint Anthony, Cortes do Meio
It was built 306 years ago, ie in 1697. Its location is in the small town of Cortes de Baixo and its small population uses this chapel to make the daily rosaries and also to celebrate the annual feast of Saint Anthony. In the chapel there is an altar that contains N. Sra. do Carmo, Santo António and Jesus Christ. Recently the entire interior of the chapel has been restored.
Alminhas, Bouça
As in so many other villages, the niche serves to bless drivers and travelers, and is installed at the beginning of the villages. This construction is quite recent, from 1967.
Nicho, Cortes do Meio
The image that can be seen in the niche is that of N. Sra. do Bom Caminho, as its name implies, has the purpose of giving a good trip to drivers and travelers and, therefore, it is located at the end/beginning of the localities. Older people argue that they placed flowers in the Niche and every time they passed through it, they prayed to give them a safe trip.
Cruzeiros of: Cortes de Baixo, Ourondinho and Alto da Salgueira
The cruzeiro of Cortes de Baixo, has the following message inscribed:
O you who are passing by
Remember us
That we are struggling.
Thus, this small monument “wants to draw the attention” of people passing by to remember souls and pray for them. The date of its construction is not known.
Ruins of the Oil Mill, Cortes do Meio
The Olive Oil Press was, in other times, a very important landmark in the Parish of Cortes, due to the abundant production of olive oil. There are many traces of the archaic production of olive oil that can still be found in the place, and that transports us to remote times.
Mills
If we walk along the banks of the stream, on a rough path for the feet, but invigorating for the eyes, we come across ruins of mills that still show old millstones and pieces of mills that crushed the cereals.
An engaging environment that transports us to the life of times gone by…
Typical houses
Scattered throughout the Parish, all of them with flower boxes at the door and windows, retain the characteristic feature of Beira Baixa dwellings, and are built in granite, which give an airy and rural air, typical of the mountain landscape in which they are inserted. One of these houses, recently rebuilt, serves as the headquarters for the Juvecor youth association.
Fountain of Shorts, Bouça
It is one of the most emblematic monuments in Bouça, which serves as a pretext for the construction of a legend about the foundation of this village. The fountain, made of granite, has seven spouts whose shape resembles shorts. From its mouth gushes a spring of quality water, discovered by a fugitive from royal justice who, taking refuge in a thatched court next to the well of Forno Velho, seeks the aforementioned spring and settles there, building the fountain and the first dwelling house. that place. Legend has it that this convict was acquitted of his sentence after revealing his deed to an authority who, in recognition of the work done, forgives him. History or pure fiction, these events still live on in the mouths of the oldest inhabitants of Bouça.
The village of Bouça was formerly located in another neighboring valley (currently called A Bouça Velha) and, as there was a great lack of water in that valley, its residents were forced to go in search of it and found the spring that today is the source of the shorts. After this discovery, the village of Bouça began to settle around Fonte, so if it weren’t for such an important discovery, perhaps Bouça would not be located where it is today.
The last reconstruction was carried out on 12-17-1954, but the 6 spouts that resemble shorts can still be seen.
Fountain of the Three Spouts
A monument of unquestionable beauty, it was, and still is, the scene of rituals, which have already become a symbol for the people of the village. In ancient times, the girls of the village took as a pretext to go to the fountain with their pitchers to get the crystal clear water, to meet their boyfriends. There is a wall that, according to what is said by the oldest popular, “was always full of boyfriends who took advantage of the time when their parents were not around to flirt”. Currently, on the feast of S. João, when the clock in the tower strikes twelve, the villagers head to the fountain to break an egg, a ritual, as they say, that lets us know what the future has in store for us. .
After many attempts to discover the date of its construction, it is not possible to know, since even the oldest people say that when they were children the fountain already existed, and there is no date or any document that indicates the time.
St. Anthony’s Fountain
Its location was in one of the many existing quelhas in this locality, but, to allow greater access to the population and visitors in general, it started to be located in the main and only square, this change of place was made in 1966. According to the inhabitants, the waters from that source “they are hot in the winter and cool in the summer” and many visitors, when they pass through those parts, cannot resist taking bottles of water with them.
Factory, Cortes do Meio
Located on one of the banks of the Ribeira das Cortes, built with monstrous granite stones, the factory was built in the time of the Marquês de Pombal. The objective was to harness the energy of the waters for textile production, which never happened. Currently, only part of the vigorous walls that constituted it survives.
Old bridge, Cortes de Baixo
Old bridge, Cortes de Baixo.
Inserted in a rural mountain setting, the old bridge is an important landmark in the life of the village elders. In the past, and still today, this bridge is the passage of many shepherds who lead their flocks through the mountains.
Its origin is unknown but among the inhabitants it is said to be Roman.
