Description Castro Daire

The history of the municipality of Castro Daire is lost a little in time, it is unknown for sure since when this vast area was occupied by man. It is known, however, that by the time of the Neolithic period the territory would already be intensely populated.

The Castro Daire Municipality has a generalized planaltic feature, however the groove corresponding to the Paiva valley is interposed and the Serra de Montemuro block rises, whose tops are also flattened.

It is located in the Centro region, district of Viseu, and is inserted in the sub-region Dão / Lafões. The municipality occupies an area equivalent to 380 km2, distributed among its 16 parishes: Almofala, Cabril, Castro Daire, Cujó, Gosende, Mões, Moledo, Monteiras, Pepim, Pinheiro, S. Joaninho, Union of Parishes of Mamouros, Alva and Ribolhos ; Union of Parishes of Mezio and Moura Morta; Union of Parishes of Parada de Ester and Ester; Union of Parishes of Picão and Ermida; Union of Parishes of Reriz and Gafalhão. These parishes include two villages: Castro Daire and Mões (village since 21 June 1995).

It confines to the North with the municipalities of Tarouca, Lamego, Resende and Cinfães; east with Vila Nova de Paiva; to the south with Viseu and to the west with S. Pedro do Sul and Arouca.

The Municipality boasts a vast and diverse landscape and architectural heritage that characterizes it as a Municipality rich in testimonies from the past and as a worthy place that is worth visiting.

Among this vast heritage, the Church of the 12th century Hermitage and the Roman Inscription of Penedo de Lamas - Moledo cannot be overlooked. During the century. XVIII there was a great period of expansion in Castro Daire. The monuments of this height are Casa da Cerca, Capela das Carrancas, Solar dos Aguilares and Solar dos Mendonças, all located in the village, or the noble houses of Grijó do Gafistão, Farejinhas and the village of Mões. All these monuments, as well as the dozens of churches and chapels built during the same period in the municipality, of which the Igreja Matriz de Castro Daire is the greatest example, reminding us of this golden period in the history of our municipality.