The Rota da Srª dos Verdes begins at the Capela de Nª Srª dos Verdes and connects several religious and historical sites in Abrunhosa-a-Velha. Along the way, it leads to the Janela Manuelina and the Igreja Matriz de Santa Cecília. The Capela de S. Sebastião is also one of the sites the route passes. Along a single path, you can encounter various buildings and places with religious significance.
The route is also characterised by its landscape and historic paving. It follows a surface of Roman origin, passes through small areas of pine forest and descends between local cultivated fields and pastureland. It also passes the former site of the Moinhos de água da Retorta. Buildings, cultural landscapes and former milling activity therefore stand side by side as different facets of the same route.
Distinguishing the route from the pilgrimage
The traditional pilgrimage to the Capela de Nª Srª dos Verdes is distinct from the route: it begins at the parish church with a procession featuring decorated litters and a band. An open-air Mass is then celebrated at the chapel. While the route connects various stops and stretches of landscape, the pilgrimage focuses on religious observances. Dates and arrangements may change from year to year; if you would like to experience the pilgrimage, check the details for your travel year.
Buildings with different stories
The Pelourinho de Abrunhosa-a-Velha stands at Largo do Pelourinho and is classified as an Imóvel de Interesse Público. Its history is connected to Abrunhosa’s municipal autonomy: it was erected as a result of this development, which began in 1762. The pillory is therefore both a protected building and a reference point in the town’s history. This administrative history adds another perspective on the town’s past to the religious stops on the Rota da Srª dos Verdes.
The railway’s history is also associated with specific details. The Estação Ferroviária de Abrunhosa has two figurative azulejo panels. The Apeadeiro da Abrunhosa on the Linha da Beira Alta was inaugurated on 10 August 1935. The tile images and the precisely dated historical event offer two different points of interest: decorative design in one case, the history of a railway facility in the other. These details describe historical and architectural features, not a current timetable.
The Solar da Cerca can be visited in Abrunhosa-a-Velha. The Antiga Câmara e cadeia serves a different purpose: the building is now the seat of the Junta de Freguesia. The place to visit and the building used for institutional purposes add further aspects of the town to the route, without implying that every building offers the same opportunities for visitors.
A culinary connection from 2022
An event is also part of the local history: at the Encontro Gastronómico Amador de Abrunhosa-a-Velha, visitors could buy a kit on site and sample the dishes on offer in 2022. Feijoada à Abrunhosense was mentioned as a dish in this context. This is a specific culinary connection to the 2022 event and adds another facet of the town to the architectural and landscape discoveries.
Discover more destinations: Abrunhosa-A-Velha, Resende, Almaça, Guardão, Sernancelhe, Freixinho, Coura, Tondela.
For the wider travel overview: Viseu.
