Chaves Roman bridge (Chaves)

 monument, Roman Empire, bridge

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Ponte de Trajano
em Wikilusa, a enciclopédia de Portugal

Ponte Romana de Chaves (Séc. I - II) também designada, Ponte de Trajano, foi construída entre fins do século I e o início do século II d.C. A par do desenvolvimento das termas, constitui um dos melhores legados romanos da antiga Aquae Flaviae, que prevalece até aos nossos dias, resistindo a históricas cheias, e às fortes correntes do rio Tâmega. Com aproximadamente centena e meia de metros de comprimento e uma dúzia de arcos visíveis, as obras efectuadas nos anos 30, cobriram alguns dos arcos e outros ainda soterrados na construção dos casarios ali implantados e sobranceiros ao rio. Sendo o Ex libris da cidade, é com justiça o elemento mais apreciado e fotografado da cidade de Chaves.
Imagem:Coluna Ponte Trajano - Chaves.jpg
Coluna da Ponte Trajano - Chaves

As duas colunas

Ainda hoje se podem ler as inscrições colocadas nas duas colunas a montante e a jusante da Ponte Romana.

A primeira diz:

“IMPERANDO CESAR NERVA TRAJANO AUGUSTO GERMANICO DACICO, PONTIFICE MÁXIMO, COM PODER TRIBUNÍCIO, CÔNSUL A 5ª VEZ, PAE DA PATRIA, OS AQUIFLAVIENSES TRATARAM DE FAZER À SUA CUSTA ESTA PONTE DE PEDRA"

A segunda diz:

“IMPERANDO CESAR VESPASIANO AUGUSTO, PONTÍFICE MÁXIMO, COM PODER TRIBUNÍCIO A DÉCIMA VEZ, IMPERADOR A VIGÉSIMO, PAE DA PATRIA, CÔNSUL A NONA VEZ, IMPERANDO TAMBÉM TITO VESPASIANO CESAR, FILHO DO AUGUSTO, PONTÍFICE, COM PODER TRIBUNÍCIO A OITAVA VEZ, IMPERADOR A DECIMA QUARTA, CÔNSUL A SÉTIMO (...) SENDO LEGADO DO AUGUSTO O PROPRETOR CAIO CALPETANO RANCIO QUERINAL VALERIO FESTO E SENDO LEGADO DO AUGUSTO NA LEGIÃO SÉTIMO, DECIO CORNELIO MECIANO E PROCURADOR DO MESMO AUGUSTO, LUCIO ARRUNCIO MAXIMO, A LEGIÃO SÉTIMO GEMINA FELIZ E DEZ CIDADES, A SABER: OS AQUIFLAVIENSES, OS AOBRIGENSES, OS BIBALOS, OS COELERNES, OS EQUESOS, OS INTERAMNICOS, OS LIMICOS, OS NEBISOCOS, OS QUARQUERNOS E OS TAMAGANOS (...)”.

Padrão dos Povos

O Padrão dos Povos, foi descoberto a 27 de Agosto de 1980, a montante e junto à ponte romana, no leito do rio Tâmega.

É uma terceira coluna a ser admirada no Museu da Região Flaviense, que exalta as dez cidades dos:
* Aquiflavienses, Aobrigenses, Bibali, Coelerni, Equaesi, Interamici, Limici, Aebisoci, Quaquerni e Tamagani (erigiram este monumento) ao Imperador Caesar Vespasianus Augustus, Pontífice Máximo, com o poder tribunício pela décima vez, aclamado imperador pela vigésima vez, pai da Pátria e Cônsul pela nona vez, ao Imperador (Titus) Vespasianus Caesar, filho de Augustus, Pontífice, com o poder tribunício pela oitava vez, aclamado imperador pela décima vez (e ao Caesar Domitianus, filho de Augustus, Cônsul pela sexta vez), a Gaius Calpetanus Rantius Quirinalis Valerius Festus, legado propretor de Augustus, a Decimus Cornelius Maecianus, legado de Augustus, a Lucius Arruntius Maximus, procurador de Augustus e à Legio VII Gemina Felix.
Chaves is a town and seat of municipality in the far North of Portugal, 10 km south of the Spanish border and 22 km south of Verín, Spain. The town is the most populous of the district of Vila Real and the municipality is the second most populous of the district. The district capital, Vila Real, is 60 km south on the A24 toll-free motorway. Aquæ Flaviæ was the Roman name for this town.

The population of the municipality was 44,186 in 2004, of which 17,535[1] in the town. The area of the municipality is 591.3 km². The elevation is 460 meters.
The town has always had great historical importance, being the site of an important Roman garrison and later being in the forefront of resistance during the Napoleonic invasions of the early nineteenth century. In Portuguese military history Chaves is especially famous for two battles: the siege of Chaves by French forces in 1807 and the Royalist attack on Chaves led by Henrique Paiva Couceiro in 1912.

Chaves is a town of fortifications. There is a medieval castle and two forts, Forte São Francisco and Forte São Neutel, both built in the 17th century. Nearby, two medieval fortifications still exist - the Santo Estêvão Tower, in the plain, and the Monforte Castle, in the mountains. The original Roman bridge in Chaves crossing the Tâmega still stands with its stone arches and is the most important tourist site of Chaves. The hot thermal water (73 degrees Celsius) of Chaves have been famous since Roman times and today many people come to the town (health tourism) to take the water cure in a renewed bathhouse and modern thermal complex.

Agriculture and services are still the main sources of income. The traditional prosperity of Chaves comes, mainly, from a highly fertile plain, nine km. long and three to five wide, called a "veiga". Since the land can be irrigated with canals there is intensive farming, mainly of potatoes, corn, rye, hay, and plots of vegetables for sale in the local market. There is one main canal which begins near Vila Verde da Raia and crosses the valley on the right bank of the Tâmega as far as Nantes.

On the whole, the land is made up of small plots that are rarely economically viable. There is some dairy farming, and a milk production unit on the south side of town, but few cows can be seen in the valley. In general most of the farmers are of retirement age and farming is often pursued more as a hobby than as a profession.

In addition to agriculture there are some small industries producing glass, tiles, and food products. Like Vila Pouca de Aguiar located thirty km south this is granite land. There are several granite extraction and finishing industries. There are also three brickworks on the south side of the Villa. There are two mineral water plants in nearby Vidago, which belongs to the municipality.

Many of the local people have emigrated to northern Europe, especially France. In August these emigrants return to visit their villages and the population of Chaves doubles. It is a time of weddings and village festivals.
The climate in Chaves is transitional between Atlantic Maritime Temperate and Continental. The mountains between the Minho region and Tras-os-Montes serve as a climatic barrier and lessen rainfall as one moves in an easterly direction. Winters can be cold with January highs rarely reaching 10º and lows often going below zero. Thick fog hovering over the valley is also common on dry days. Summer is characterized by dry days with maximums around 38º and minimums around 15º. Summer brush fires can often make this season unpleasant.

Chaves has been isolated from the coastal urban centers and has suffered from a lack of convenient road communications. Recently, a new non-toll four-lane highway (A24) was opened to traffic. It links Chaves to Vila Real, and in the future will connect to Spain. In Vila Pouca de Aguiar the highway also connects with the A7 that leads to Porto. In Chaves, was born João Gonçalves da Costa, who at the age of 16, went to Brazil serving King Dom João V, with the mission of conquering lands in the interior in an area called “Sertão da Resaca”. He fought against local Indians and in 1783 and founded a Vila which later would become the city of Vitoria da Conquista, in the state of Bahia, with almost 300,000 people.