When redoing our regional history, it is fair to place the parish of Tourém in the first chapter. It received charter from D. Sancho I to maintain border surveillance from the Castelo de Piconha and its attachment, in a neutral path, to the heart of “Couto Misto” formed by he villages of Santiago, Rubiás e Meaus.
There are even some news that Sancho Povoador passed through there, obviously, before 1211: “…quando ibat rex domino Sanchio pro a Sancte Pelagio de Piconia…” Straight after the definitive establishment to the capacity of capital of the land of Barroso in Montalegre, the prerogatives and privileges of Tourém were kept: suffice it to say that the so called “honors” were encumbered in providing men for the garrison of Piconha. Moreover, the defence of the site was a primordial issue for the whole population of Tourém as can be verified in the open holes found over the house doors, as a way of avoiding robberies, sieges and ambushes. Fact of unusual curiosity is the fact that the very old church of São Pedro (with Romanesque traces) does not appear in the catalogue of 1320.
It does not appear because it belonged, in spirit, to the Ourense Diocese. For this motive (is of tradition and taken for granted) that, at a given time, in the flourishing of the Liberalismo Galego, a bishop from Ourense, of the Quevedo family, took refuge in Tourém for political reasons. The Bishop, even though he was in a strange country, was in his own land, because Tourém integrated the Ourense Diocese. Before it was chartered, Tourém was honored in a donation of goods deed to the Mosteiro de Celanova, during the years of Christ of 1065! It is probably the most cosmopolitan parish of the region with daily visits of the “labregos” and “turistas” of Sister Galicia! These “outsiders” can enjoy, with all the convenience of legacy facilities of the Casa dos Braganças, reconstructed for tourism housing.
In this village, the “corte do boi do povo” was transformed into an Ecomuseu headquarter where the contraband issue is pictured, from the "couto misto” (land without law), the political exiles and the border relationship.
Area: 17 km2
Population Density: 7.7 hab/km2
Present Population: 131
Patron: São Pedro
Attractions:
Castelo da Piconha;
Castro; Forno; Igreja;
Vestígios da Sala do Bispo Galego;
Capela de Santa Ana;
Casas dos Braganças e do Prof. Barros.
Parish Villages: (1) Tourém
Address:
Junta de Freguesia de Tourém
Rua do Carvalho, n.º 7
5470-490 Tourém - Montalegre
Telephone: 936 326 959
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://tourem.freguesia.org/
Headquarter of Tourém:
Centro de Educação Ambiental
