Whispers of centuries past echo around us here at Via medieval de São João – Travassós. We are in a place brimming with history. It speaks of a time long before Portugal was even a nation.
The story of Via medieval de São João – Travassós begins long ago. The area now known as Travassós shows signs of life from way back. There is a big ancient structure on Santa Marinha hill. Also there are two burial mounds in Poços Salgueiros that are half gone.
Travassós existed even before Portugal became a country. This village was home to the original Travassós family. They were nobles in this kingdom.
The first person known to use this name was D. Pedro de Travaços. He lived while D. Sancho I and D. Afonso II ruled from 1185 to 1223. He had children who carried on the name. The Travaços family’s coat of arms features a purple shield. It shows five golden clover flowers. You can see these arms at the Monastery of Santa Maria da Batalha. They also appear on Diogo Gonçalves de Travassos’ tomb. His tomb is in the Alcobaça convent. It has the letter “D” on its lid.
Also Manuel Travassos Cardoso was buried here. He was the main captain and governor of Guarda city. His tomb shows “Trev.os”. The text translates to “Tomb of Manuel / Trev(ass)os Ca/rdozo ca/pitam ma/ior of this / city and g(overnad)or della / and his district which he bought for himself and his heirs and died on August 7th of the year 1710”.
The Via medieval de São João – Travassós area also served as the site for a medieval court. This court was active around 1258. It included areas such as Paços Travassós Gontim Felgueiras and Aboim. Later all these areas became part of Fafe municipality.
In 1726 the Santo Tomé de Travassós church held importance. It was under both Mitra and the Order of Christ. Sadly the original church burned down in July 1973. It was rebuilt the next year. It is modern now but there once was a Romanesque church here. The new church also has modern sacred art with futuristic stained glass.
Graesbeeck mentioned important estates in the early 1500s. These included Bento da Costa Peixoto’s Lestido estate. There was also António Montenegro’s Vilar estate. He died in 1874 in Lisbon. He willed money to Fafe Hospital. He also funded a boys’ home a town hall and a boys’ school in Travassós.
Here at Via medieval de São João – Travassós we see layers of time. Each stone tells a story. Each path whispers secrets of Portugal’s origins. May the echoes of Via medieval de São João – Travassós stay with you. They remind you that even before countries exist history thrives in the land.