Granite marker 58

Category: Civil Architecture > Marker

District: Vila Real > Vila Real > Vila Nova > Bairro da Eira

Location

Granite Boundary Marker 58 is located in the locality of Vila Nova, more precisely in Bairro da Eira, within the municipality of Vila Real. This location places it in an environment that, although close to the main urban fabric, retains a more serene and sometimes rural character, typical of the parishes surrounding the city of Vila Real. Its presence in Bairro da Eira suggests a direct connection with the landscape and the organization of the local terrain, offering a perspective on how the territory was historically structured in this Trás-os-Montes region.

Structure and Purpose

This marker is a solitary granite structure, designed with a simplicity and robustness that grant it remarkable durability. Its primary function was to mark boundaries, and the number "58" engraved on or associated with it indicates that it was part of a network or series of markers. These elements were crucial for the demarcation of properties, parishes, or municipalities, reflecting the historical need to define and organize space clearly and permanently. Its granite composition ensures that, despite the passage of time, it remains a physical testament to territorial management.

Historical and Territorial Significance

Despite its apparent modesty, Granite Boundary Marker 58 holds deep historical and cultural significance. It is a visible link to the past, representing the materialization of administrative and planning decisions that shaped land ownership and community organization throughout the centuries. Its existence underlines the importance attributed, in past eras, to the unequivocal definition of limits, serving as a silent reminder of how borders were established and respected in the Portuguese rural and semi-rural context. Observing it is to ponder the evolution of the landscape and human relationships with space.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt