MEIXEDO
Like Gralhas and many others, Meixedo was one of the honors of Barroso. Because it was an honored place, the kings did not possess rights over the land. On the contrary, its term (only Meixedo) constituted “a couto coutado (privileged land) with separate standards that banned King Sir Afonso first to the Hospital” (by order of Hospitallers). This had been founded upon the conquest of Jerusalem by the Crusaders in 1099. Because it was the only gift offered to the so called Order of Hospitallers in Barroso, the people of Meixedo should consider themselves very honoured.
The Chapel of São Sebastião is one of very few living signs of the enormous devotion to this Saint, after the plague of 1570, especially, after the rebirth of Sebastianism, with the death of D. Sebastião on the 4th of August of 1578. Nowadays, Codessoso belongs to this parish, having belonged to the parish of Chã in the past. In 1258, in this village, they paid the king an eighth of all their fruit except for the homesteads of the knights and of Dona Maiorina. Around the time of São Miguel, the people of Codessoso (the oldest references of this toponym do not authorize another spelling) had to give simple “shoulders” with bread, and like all of Chã, went to the surname and gave the meal and barley to the king´s butler. Along the limits of Codessoso passed an important medieval path that served various villages of the Chã parish, during the D. Afonso III enquiries: Vilarinho, Lamachã, Morgade, Carvalhais e Rebordelo, Fírvidas e Gralhós, together with the homesteads of Regavam.
PADORNELOS
It’s the logical referenceto the cold lands of Barroso, since the times of Camilo, long before the time of Ferreira de Castro! But Padornelos enjoys other references much more important (or should enjoy)! It is important to remember that an authentic charter was granted to them by D. Sancho I and confirmed, on October 5th of 1266 by D. Afonso III. It was ‘’conselho sobre si’’, this is, they enjoyed the privileges granted to county guild: “The men of Padornelos should insert judge and servitor and butler and cleric”. And so, through this document that substituted the one of Sancho I, conferred judicial existence of the rudimentary county, with its own magistratures.
Of these old glories (then one of the border honours of Barroso) still abounds the fact of having the right to a resident captain to regiment men, between the ages of 18 to 60, for national defense, every time Portugal was harassed.
Área: 35.8 km2
Densidade Populacional: 8.5 hab/km2
População Presente: 305
Orago: Nossa Senhora da Natividade(Meixedo) e Santa Maria(Padornelos)
Pontos turísticos:
- Calvário, Largo Central, Capela de São Sebastião (Meixedo)
- Miradouros - Portelo e Larouco, Forno e Casa do Capitão(Padornelos).
Lugares da Freguesia: (4) Meixedo, Codeçoso, Padornelos e Sendim .
Morada:
União de Freguesias de Meixedo e Padornelos
Rua da Lajela, n.º 14
Codeçoso
5470-171 Meixedo - Montalegre
Telefone: 962 418 358
Website: www.jfmeixedo.com
