edumad
Active Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Português '12 '14 (Rates), '18 (Ponte de Lima)
Interior '15 (Vila Real)
Francês '16 (Ponferrada).
In Esposende two sections of the Caminho come together. The Coastal route comes northwards from Póvoa do Varzim and enters Apúlia. From São Pedro de Rates there is section which connects the central route to the coastal, it enters through Fonte Boa.
The route of this section is not random optional connection. There was a historical Santiago route from Porto-Rates-Laúndos-Barca do Lago.
Barca do Lago means Lake boat, by boat I mean a broad flat bottomed ferry boat.
Barca do lago is the common name for the area between Gemeses and Fonte Boa were the Cávado river makes a curve.
There is evidence from place names that since the 13th century the area was a crossing point of the river. There are claims that in the same century the king D. Sancho II crossed there during his pilgrimage. While early pilgrimages are hard to prove, there is plenty of evidence from the 16th through 19th century with traveller chronicles describing the area and their crossing.
The boatman and boat were at the care of local lords, with the populations of the neighbouring villages paying a contribution for the maintenance (bales of wheat, sacks of corn and the like). Pilgrims crossed freely, their crossing being done as a good action for God.
There was a bridge in Barcelos since the 14th century, and of course people crossed the river in boats at several points along its length, not everywhere could you cross with an oxen cart, so this made this crossing important.
An 18th century reports tells of an Inn on the northern bank of river where pilgrims and travellers would lay-over. It also functioned as a make-shift hospital as feverish guests could be treated by blood letting.
Since 1892, with the construction of the bridge between Fão and Esposende, there was less usefulness for this crossing. The last “barca” was officially registered between 1942 and 1947 with dimensions approx. 10m by 3.5m.
The current caminhos in Esposende district now converge in Fão. There is a projected extension of the river side path in Fão to the river beach in Barca do Lago.
IMG_1615 by eduardodourado, on Flickr
IMGP8249 by eduardodourado, on Flickr
IMGP2807 by eduardodourado, on Flickr
It will then be very easy and a pleasant walk to follow the original caminho until the river an then walk along the river banks until the bridge in Fão.
IMG_20161120_115458 by eduardodourado, on Flickr
IMG_20161120_114932 by eduardodourado, on Flickr
The route of this section is not random optional connection. There was a historical Santiago route from Porto-Rates-Laúndos-Barca do Lago.
Barca do Lago means Lake boat, by boat I mean a broad flat bottomed ferry boat.
Barca do lago is the common name for the area between Gemeses and Fonte Boa were the Cávado river makes a curve.
There is evidence from place names that since the 13th century the area was a crossing point of the river. There are claims that in the same century the king D. Sancho II crossed there during his pilgrimage. While early pilgrimages are hard to prove, there is plenty of evidence from the 16th through 19th century with traveller chronicles describing the area and their crossing.
The boatman and boat were at the care of local lords, with the populations of the neighbouring villages paying a contribution for the maintenance (bales of wheat, sacks of corn and the like). Pilgrims crossed freely, their crossing being done as a good action for God.
There was a bridge in Barcelos since the 14th century, and of course people crossed the river in boats at several points along its length, not everywhere could you cross with an oxen cart, so this made this crossing important.
An 18th century reports tells of an Inn on the northern bank of river where pilgrims and travellers would lay-over. It also functioned as a make-shift hospital as feverish guests could be treated by blood letting.
Since 1892, with the construction of the bridge between Fão and Esposende, there was less usefulness for this crossing. The last “barca” was officially registered between 1942 and 1947 with dimensions approx. 10m by 3.5m.
The current caminhos in Esposende district now converge in Fão. There is a projected extension of the river side path in Fão to the river beach in Barca do Lago.
IMG_1615 by eduardodourado, on Flickr
IMGP8249 by eduardodourado, on Flickr
IMGP2807 by eduardodourado, on Flickr
It will then be very easy and a pleasant walk to follow the original caminho until the river an then walk along the river banks until the bridge in Fão.
IMG_20161120_115458 by eduardodourado, on Flickr
IMG_20161120_114932 by eduardodourado, on Flickr
