VILLAGES

Gondramaz

lousã mountain
Lousã MountainGondramaz
Gondramaz
gondramaz, miranda do corvo
Aldeia mais que perfeita. Where art is carved on stones or sculpted on the facades of houses.

The village is arranged along a main street that runs following the line of a ridge as far as the slope allowed building. From this street branches out a network of narrow, winding lanes that seem to wander wherever the fancy takes them.

We are welcomed by a poem by Miguel Torga on a metal plate in the village reception area.

Gondramaz is remarkable for the specific colour of the schist that surrounds us from top to toe. Even the ground we walk on is an example of the best artisanal stone work. This is in fact a place of craftsmen whose skilled hands create charming figures that are the hallmark of these mountains and carry the master craftsman’s name and the name of the village far beyond Portugal.

Situated on the western slopes of the Serra da Lousã, the landscape that surrounds Gondramaz is a work of art by nature. In the streets of this village there is subtle acoustic that awakens all the senses. In its streets the voices of people become sharper and more attractive.

A remarkable work in schist, the pavement makes an accessible route for people with reduced mobility.

In one of the more successful restoration projects of the Schist Villages Network, it is not surprising to find the arrival of new inhabitants and the lively atmosphere that reigns here every weekend. The mountain bike trials organised from here bring bikers and a buzz of activity that no longer surprise the locals.

  • territory

    Situated in Miranda do Corvo municipality, Gondramaz stands on the summit of the mountain, like in a picturesque painting. The western flanks of the schist massif of the Serra da Lousã are deeply incised by watercourses. Its slopes are characterised by steep precipices. Gondramaz lies in the middle of one of these slopes, facing northeast and extending along a ridge, flanked by two steep sided watercourses.

  • nature

    Gondramaz is included in the Serra da Lousã Site of Community Importance of the Nature 2000 Network. The forest immediately surrounding the village is dominated by chestnuts, oaks and some holly trees, which spring into prominence with the green of their leaves and their fiery hues in autumn. Red deer roam shyly over the slopes that surround the village. Veronica micrantha, a small, rare plant, peeps out at passing walkers on the trail from the verges where it hides. And the Portuguese laurel cherry is a visible presence in this village, spreading along the Ribeira Alheda.

    The streams that flank the village give birth in the bottom of the valley to the Ribeira do Conde, later to become the Ribeira de Espinho, and subsequently called the Ribeira Alheda, ending its journey of eight kilometres in Miranda do Corvo, where it flows into the river Dueça from its left bank.

  • history and stories

    At about three kilometres from Gondramaz the remains of a fixed grinding mortar indicate the presence of fortified castro culture settlements that is thought to have existed in the region. However, the first documented presence is that of the Romans. Not far from the village of Gondramaz stood the city of Conímbriga, which exerted influence over this region.

    Bearing in mind the probable origin of its name – villa Gundramaci corresponded to “farm of Gundramaco”, a proper name of Germanic origin – the founding of the village may be associated with the Visigoth presence in the region.

    If we believe the origin of the name, and bearing in mind that in the Machado National Museum in Coimbra there is an outstanding Visigoth capital found in Miranda do Corvo municipality, and in light of the recent discovery of a Visigoth necropolis on the Alto do Castelo, there is enough context to suppose that settlement of the place may have occurred during the Visigoth occupation (between 568 and 711). From then until the present day, we have little more than the obscurity of history.

    Origin of the name
    The origin of the name appears to date from the time of low Latin (the Latin language used after the fall of the Roman Empire) in view of the name given to the possible existence of villa Gundramaci, meaning “farm of Gundramaco”, a proper name of apparently Germanic origin. The name Gondramaz may therefore be related to the Visigoth presence in the region.

  • patrimony

    The predominant building material is schist and most of the facades are unrendered. Gondramaz preserves a genuine village spirit in a very developed settlement that maintains its traditional architectural lines.

    Worth a visit:

    • Chapel of Nª Srª da Conceição
      A chapel of simple design that contains statues of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception and Our Lady of the Lanterns.
    • Wayside Shrine
      Built into the facade of a private house.
    • Public Washhouse and Drinking Fountain
      The public washhouse, situated in the centre of the village, and the drinking fountain, which provides piped water, are the only public facilities in the village.
  • products
    • Horticultural produce
    • Chestnuts
    • Stone sculptures
  • how to arrive

    De Norte e Sul
    Seguir pela A1 até à saída 11 (Lousã/Condeixa). Sair na direcção do IC2 para Leiria e em Condeixa sair para o IC3 na direcção de Tomar. Após 3 km sair à esquerda pela N342 e seguir em direcção a Miranda do Corvo, durante 16 km. Em Miranda do Corvo siga na direcção de Meãs e depois na direcção de Chapinha, seguindo as indicações até Gondramaz.

    De Espanha
    Seguir pela A23 para Sul (Covilhã/Castelo Branco). Sair na saída 18 (Sertã/Pombal). Seguir pelo IC8 durante 78km, saindo no nó do Avelar para a IC3 no sentido de Condeixa. Seguir pelo IC3 durante 10km até à rotunda do Espinhal. Na rotunda sair na primeira saída para Espinhal/Miranda do Corvo. Seguir pela EN17-1 durante 18km. À entrada de Miranda do Corvo vire à esquerda, em direcção a Meãs e Gondramaz.

    De Coimbra
    Tome a EN 17. Em Segade vire para a EN 17-1 em direcção a Semide e depois siga até Miranda do Corvo. Aqui siga na direcção de Meãs e depois na direcção de Chapinha, seguindo as indicações até Gondramaz.

  • Patron saint
    nossa senhora das candeias
  • Ex-libris
    stone carvings/wall engravings

Contacts

explore

restaurants
Museu da Chanfana
Museu da Chanfana
Miranda do Corvo

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