Ever wondered how a place could be both old and new at the same time? That is Guisande. It is a former civil parish in Santa Maria da Feira. Guisande merged into a new parish in 2013. This new parish is called Lobão, Gião, Louredo e Guisande.
Let’s take a stroll through its past. Guisande’s history stretches back centuries. Some language experts believe the name “Guisande” has Visigothic origins. This would date back to when Visigoths invaded the Iberian Peninsula around the 5th century.
Dr. José Leite de Vasconcelos was an eminent philologist. He suggested “Guisandus” as the origin. This is a Germanic name that means “true in combat”. Originally, it might have been “Guisandi villa”.
References to Guisande appear as early as the 9th century. It was then known as “Grisandi.” There are also mentions of the villas that existed there. Vestiges of Vila Fornos and Cimo de Vila remain. “Villa” was a generic term. It meant quinta, prédio rústico, casal, granja, or herdade. Sometimes, “villa” referred to a group of properties in the same location.
In 1137, Guisande was mentioned in the royal charter. King D. Afonso Henriques donated it to Gonçalo Dias and his wife. Guisande defined the limits of the Couto de Louredo. The Monte de Mó was also mentioned.
King D. Afonso II decreed churches could not acquire more real estate by purchase in 1211. Inquiries checked property titles of the clergy and nobles. Guisande parish was included in a list for monasteries and orders. This list covered several districts of Porto.
Dona Ermelinda Guterres, an abbess, donated a casal to the Grijó monastery. She inherited it from her father. It was located in the villa called “Guisandi”. A sentence from the 1288 inquest stated the following. It mentioned “A quintam that belonged to Gotrim Perez”. It now belongs to the Abbess of Rio Tinto, with all of that aldeya of Guisandi.
Saint Mamede is the patron saint of Guisande. His parents were Saint Teodoro and Saint Rufina. They descended from illustrious knights. Guisande always belonged to the Comarca Eclesiástica da Feira. For centuries, this area has belonged to the Diocese of Porto.
Guisande is located 10 km from the council seat to the northeast. It borders Lobão and Gião to the north. To the east, it borders S. Vicente de Louredo. It shares a border with Duas Igrejas and Pigeiros to the south. Caldas de S. Jorge and Lobão are to the west.
The parish divides into two parts. The higher part includes Viso, Cimo de Vila, and other places. The lower part includes Reguengo, Barrosa, and other localities. The Igreja Matriz is in a central zone. From here, you can see an amphitheater. It starts at Monte do Viso and goes up to Outeiro e Monte da Mó. Then it descends through Quinta and Estôse.
In 1586, an inventory listed properties obligated to “votos”. A “voto” was a measure of bread and wine for each yoke of oxen. Guisande was mentioned in this inventory. The Casal da Barrosa paid one alqueire of rye and one of maize. The Casal de Fornos paid the same.
In 1687, diocesan synod expanded faculties for a sanctuary. This sanctuary was for the Eucharist. It was for the sick and spiritual consolation of the faithful. An order stated that all parish churches with thirty neighbors should have decent sanctuaries.
The Comarca da Feira catalog listed 90 parish churches. Guisande parish was classified as an abbey with 86 hearths. It had 291 adults and 46 minors. Later, the parish requested a license for the sanctuary. They stated the following. The parishioners of S. Mamede de Guisande had 90 hearths. They also had over 300 people. The church did not have the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist. They had to go to S. Tiago de Lobão church. It was far away and the road was bad. Some parishioners might die without the Holy Viaticum. They were willing to maintain a perpetual lamp. They also would provide necessary items to have the Blessed Sacrament for Viaticum. The church had more than thirty hearths. The Bishopric granted the license in 1696.
The tower dates from 1764. Dr. Manuel Rodrigues da Silva was the parish priest at the time. He noted Guisande had 126 neighbors and 398 people. In the 1755 earthquake, the church did not suffer major damage. However, pieces of plaster fell. Cracks appeared in the residence.
Guisande was highly coveted until the Separation Law of 1910. It had good fields and incomes. Reverend Manuel de Carvalho founded the Confraria de N. Srª. Do Rosário in 1733.
Guisande is nestled among hills and pine trees. It resembles an old manor. It is surrounded by fertile lands and good incomes.
Today, Guisande is still a friendly place. It welcomes visitors. It is peaceful and quiet. The parish became part of the Union of Parishes of Lobão in 2013. This union also included Gião, Louredo, and Guisande.