| |
Tras-os-Montes is a historical province of Portugal
located in the northeastern corner of the country. Presently the
region is divided into two districts: Vila
Real and Bragança.
The name--behind the mountains--refers to the location on the other
side of the Marão and Alvão mountains separating the coast from
the interior, north of the Douro
River. This isolation kept the province poor and underpopulated
for centuries, causing many people to emigrate to the coast or to
other European countries like France.
The most important population centers of the region are Vila
Real, Bragança,
Chaves,
Mirandela,
and Valpaços.
All are relatively small with fewer than 50,000 inhabitants. Most of
the people in this rural region live in small villages.
Traditionally these villages were cut off from the coast by lack of
good roads and suffered the effects of poverty. Immigration was
often the only option. Today the situation has improved somewhat
with better roads, but most of the villages are semi-deserted.
In this land of small villages the aging inhabitants still eke
out a living from small farms. Corn, rye, potatoes, wheat,
olive
oil, chestnuts, and grapes for wine
have been the main agricultural products. Granite and mineral water
are also important industries.
The people of Tras-os-Montes, perhaps due to the ruggedness of
the region, are also known for their austere habits and laconic
speech. Years of hardship have made "it must be" and
"that is life" everyday expressions. Isolation has made
the villagers leery of outsiders, but once the initial reaction has
been overcome they can show the stranger warmth and hospitality.
The character of the Transmontano "he who lives behind the
mountains" has always been shaped by isolation. The old
saying is that “on the other side of the Marão people are their
own bosses.” Lisbon has paid little attention to this area until
recent years. According to Padre Fontes, a local ethnographer, “in
this centuries-old “corner of the corner of Europe”, alone, in a
struggle against the harsh soil and inclement climate, a character
was formed: “that of the sad demeanor, the mistrusting air,
courageous, daring, hardworking, loyal, and with strength of
character a way of life.” Etnografia Transmontana, Lisbon, 1992
The historical picture of the Transmontano is of one who is very
mistrusting of strangers. According to Padre Fontes, the
Transmontano “often feels himself being tricked. He is spontaneous,
violent, rarely taking premeditated actions. He lives in a closed
society, in small groups, without influence from other lands. There
is monotony in life, in eating the same food, in love, in work, in
everything. He accepts gossip as truth. Marriages between cousins
and alcoholism cause many retarded children. The woman ages quickly
in spirit, and in body”…”the man is a good payer. He won’t
go to jail for robbery but for killing. Better to kill than to be a
thief.”
These people are also known in Portugal for their plentiful
table, usually filled with wine, olive oil, and plenty of sausage.
Copyright © 2004-2005 Real Estate & Capital Investment Ltd.
This site was last updated
Branch Portugal
Antonio Oliveira
(Portuguese Sales Representative)
Phone Portugal: +351 919 054 792
E-mail: antonio@reesin.com
Real
Estate & Capital Investment Ltd.
95 Wilton Road, Suite 3
London, SW1V 1 BZ
United Kingdom
Phone: +44 (0) 7005 800 738 (London Office)
Fax: +44 (0) 7005 801 546 (London Office)
E-mail: sales@reesin.com Portugal
Information for sale, Tras-Os-Montes, houses, villas, properties, mansions,
flats, apartments, land, plots, farmhouses, rustic houses, hotels,
restaurants, stores, commerce, holiday rentals, vineyards, castles,
palaces, manors, commercials and industrial grounds, investments,
investing.. in Portugal, Information in Alentejo, Tras-Os-Montes, Beira,
Douro Litoral, Estremadura, Tras-Os-Montes, Minho, Ribatejo, Tras-Os-Montes,
Alto Douro, Azores and Costa da Prata. |
