Glimpse back to 1059. The oldest known document referring to Lustosa is from that year. It’s inside Mumadona’s book. This book is an inventory. It lists all inheritances and churches of Guimarães. Today we are standing in Lustosa e Barrosas. It is a place with a rich history.
Lustosa was once a Portuguese parish. It covered 10.38 square kilometers. Nearly 4792 people lived here in 2011. In a reshuffle in 2012 and 2013, Lustosa joined Barrosas Santo Estêvão. Now, it is part of the Union of Parishes of Lustosa e Barrosas Santo Estêvão.
Prehistoric records tell us something interesting. On the border with São Pedro da Raimonda there is a castro. It is the castro of São Gonçalo. It sits 460 meters high. The castro had three lines of walls. They were separated by tens of meters. This ensured a more effective defense.
Queen D. Teresa rebuilt S. Tiago de Lustosa monastery. The monastery was rebuilt in 1125. This suggests it existed long before that. It likely dates back to the early Middle Ages around 476 AD. In medieval times a monastery stood in Lustosa. It accommodated both men and women. Queen D. Teresa cared for it. She was the wife of Count D. Henrique. She was also the mother of D. Afonso I.
In 1258, King D. Afonso III ordered inquiries. Domingos do João was the prelate of the church. He swore an oath. He said that the church belonged to a noble knight. It also belonged to the landowners. But who was this noble knight? According to Augusto Soares de Moura, it was likely a Ferraz. Perhaps Lourenço Ferraz. He was also the patron of the nearby church.
The earlier inquiries reveal a densely populated parish. Properties were divided. Both the king and the commoners had a reasonable share. The clergy and nobility did as well. The king was not the main landowner. This privilege belonged to the ecclesiastical class.
In 1758, the Parish Memory described the church. It had five altars. The main altar held the Blessed Sacrament. The altar of Our Lady of the Rosary was on the Gospel side. The Souls altar was there too. On the Epistle side was the altar of the Holy Name. There was also the altar of Senhora da Agonia. The sculptor Barrocas made it. Three painters from São João das Caldas created rare paintings. The church had a Brotherhood of Souls. Saint Thomas the Apostle protected it. There was also a Confraternity of the Name of God. Others included Our Lady of the Rosary and Saint Sebastian. A tower housed two bells.
The parish had three hermitages. One was São Roque. It was outside the village. The abbot of the parish owned it. Another was S. Mamede. It was in the same place. Parishioners owned it. São Gonçalo stood atop a small hill. The abbot administered it. People from the parish and neighboring areas visited it. On January 10th, many people visited the chapel. They celebrated its festival.
In 1890, Pinho Leal highlighted a stream. It was called Bésteres. It sprang from the Calvelo mountains. It watered the land and powered mills. It flowed into the Vizela River. The Mezio stream also rose from Calvelo. It flowed into the Sousa.
The Parish Church of Lustosa is part of an architectural ensemble. The Town Hall and Church House are also part of it. It stands on the road from Guimarães to Valongo. The church dates back to 1780. The body of the nave is from the 17th century. The chancel was recently restored. The interior features carved woodwork and statues. The original church was part of an old monastery. Queen D. Teresa rebuilt it.
There are also public chapels. The Chapel of S. Gonçalo sits atop Mount S. Gonçalo. It is in the old industrial area. The pyrotechnics industry was once the pride of this parish. The chapel is difficult to reach. A concrete Galilee was added to it. The Chapel of S. Roque is in the center of the parish. It is near the Mother Church. It has one nave. The facade is crowned by a clover cross. The entablature features pyramid finials. The Monastery of D. Teresa is no longer standing. Also gone is the Chapel/Church of S. Mamede. The secular Carvalheira is also gone. Lustosa e Barrosas holds many untold stories. It is an exciting place to explore.