Aveleda (Bragança)
Aveleda is a former "freguesia" ("civil parish") in the municipality of Bragança, Portugal. In 2013, the parish merged into the new parish Aveleda e Rio de Onor. The population in 2011 was 196, in an area of 62.20 km². It is situated close to the northern border with Spain. History. The parish of Aveleda derives its name from the village, whose toponymy has a number of significances. For one, there is the Roman interpretation, derived from the Roman "Avé Leda", which means "beautiful place", while others assume that the name was derived from "Veleda", a venerated Visigothic or  Suebic priest of the 4th century. Another interpretation suggests that the name was derived from "ave feliz". What is certain, is that this name only appeared during the 1250 "Inquirições" of Afonso III. This is because the area around Aveleda was under the protection of Spanish monasteries of Moreirola and San Martin de Castanheda. It was there that the celebrated "Abbott of Baçal" was parish priest (between 1896 and 1910), always travelling by foot and complying a dossier of his thoughts in Memórias Arqueológico: Históricas do Distrito de Bragança, a twelve-tome work detailing the municipal history. In this case , he referred specifically to the village of Varge (on the southern perimeter of Aveleda), which was derived from "varzena" or "varcena", a medieval term to designate artificial or natural low wetlands. The wells in this area are also referred to by the local peoples as "varja" or "varjas", literally "fish traps". The Matriz Church, on a slight elevation, dates back to the 18th century. The bridge that crosses the Pepim River in Aveleda, constructed on stone, was completed in 1952. Geography. Aveleda is located along the Portuguese-Spanish border within the "Parque Natural de Montesinho" ("Montesinho Natural Park"), three kilometres  northeast of the municipal seat of Bragança. It is characterized by hills and river-valleys, along a plateau with an average of 500 metres altitude. It is crossed by two water courses that flow from north to south: the "Ribeira das Igrejas", which crosses the village of Varge, and the "Ribeira de Pepim", which intersects the village of Aveleda. Both ravines spring from the "Serra de Pedralba", crossing from Spain, and flow as tributaries of the Sabor River. Architecture. There are several vestiges of historical architecture and rural constructions in this parish, that include: the two main historical springs/wells  ("Fonte da Pinela" and "Fonte d'Aldeia"), which were subterranean channels of potable water; watermills and ancient blacksmith's forge. The following were classified by IGESPAR as national monuments or architecturally significant heritage: