Architectural Ensemble of the Largo da Praça and Rua Direita of Favaios

Category: Civil Architecture > Ensemble

District: Vila Real > Alijó > Favaios > Centro

Location

Situated in the heart of Favaios, this central area is located on an extensive plateau, an integral part of the renowned Douro Wine Region. The village is embraced to the east by the Pinhão River valley and surrounded by fertile soils, where viticulture is a predominant activity, shaping the surrounding landscape.

Favaios is situated in the municipality of Alijó, a few kilometres from the municipal seat. Its elevated location offers a broad perspective on the rurality that surrounds it, marked by wine production, particularly the famous Moscatel.

A Look at History

The roots of Favaios date back to pre-Roman times, with the settlement already referred to in antiquity as Flavia or Flavias. Throughout the Middle Ages, the village gained importance, receiving its first charter from D. Afonso II in the 13th century, a privilege that was confirmed and renewed in later centuries, including a new charter from D. Manuel I. Favaios was once a village with seigneurial jurisdiction, initially under the domain of the House of Távora, until, in the 18th century, it passed into the tutelage of the Crown.

This historical journey, which includes its status as a former municipal seat until the mid-19th century, is visible in the layout and urban organisation observed today in Largo da Praça and Rua Direita, reflecting continuous development over the centuries.

The Urban Heart

Largo da Praça and Rua Direita constitute the historical and architectural core of Favaios, a Public Interest classified complex that represents the identity of the village. Walking through this area is to traverse the old centre of the locality's social and administrative life.

The buildings that make up this complex display an architecture that reflects the periods of greatest development of the village, mainly between the 17th and 19th centuries. It is here that one feels the pulse of local history, through the unique atmosphere created by the arrangement of the buildings and the character of their facades, which bear witness to Favaios' urban transformations.

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