Tondela

Amadeu Ferraz de Carvalho (1876-1851) describes geographically the County of Tondela in these terms: “The Municipality of Tondela extends over the plateau, covers part of the eastern slope of the Caramulo and, going beyond the mountain, still extends to the highlands of São João do Monte, on the slow slope of the upper contour of the Águeda basin. In this way, the natural sections of its area are: the plateau part cut by the Dão and its affluents Pavia and Dinha; the depressed region between the plateau and the Caramulo mountains, drained by the Criz and its affluents; the Caramulo part, with an eastern slope and the western region elevated on the contour of the Águeda basin”; and adds “an extreme basin, with Quaternary deposits that indicate small extinct lakes, flanks the Caramulo mountains: it is the Besteiros Valley”

It is in this context that the region of Tondela appears as one of the main focuses of archaeological remains, which allow us to situate the life of prehistoric populations in different scenarios. It is through these traces that we can try to understand the “modus vivendi” of the inhabitants who have always aroused the curiosity of researchers.

To go through the municipality of Tondela is to truly set out to discover history in its most beautiful aspects, art, landscapes and people, because in each place there are marks from other times worthy of being admired: imposing manor houses with their beautiful coat of arms, churches, chapels, bridges and water mills.

Of the architectural heritage with historical value in the municipality, some housing estates are worth mentioning, both for their grandeur and size, and for the history associated with them and their owners. Also worth mentioning are the pillories, representative marks of the local history and of the Portuguese political tradition defined in the charter.

Come and discover Tondela…

Carla Antunes Borges

Carla Antunes Borges

Mayor of Tondela

Message from the Mayor of Tondela

A louça preta de Molelos representa, para a freguesia com o mesmo nome e para o Concelho de Tondela, uma marca identitária única que torna as duas localidades, freguesia e concelho, referências ímpares em termos nacionais e internacionais, no que respeita à produção de peças realizadas em barro negro de valor artístico notável.

Perde-se nos tempos esta forma ancestral de transformar o barro em cor negra, tão bem representada na recriação anual da Soenga, em Molelos, onde as peças são cozidas na terra, em ambiente festivo que dura dois dias, quando, no final, para surpresa e gáudio de todos, o que no dia anterior era barro com cor natural, quando desmontada a Soenga, surge-nos em tons de negro muito peculiares, o ex-libris de Molelos.

Graças aos oleiros de Molelos, o maior núcleo do país dedicado à produção da louça e de peças artísticas em barro negro, estamos perante uma actividade a preservar e a divulgar, que em tudo expõe o trinómio memória – identidade – tradição, aliado à contemporaneidade e ao vanguardismo.

 

Carla Antunes Borges
Mayor of Tondela

APTCVC Representatives

Vice-Presidente João Figueiredo - Tondela

Municipal Councillor João Figueiredo, Tondela