/ SEGÕES

“The deep green dressed the fields beyond half a league of good walking, on the slope of Segões, where the sun-dusted crop, now less swaying than rustling, barred the Serra da Estrela, in its ecstatic immensity of bronze, with a faded emerald.”

AQUILINO RIBEIRO, IN TERRAS DO DEMO

HISTORY

Segões has always been
linked to bread production.

In the past, corn and rye were cultivated, which were then ground in the numerous water mills that still populate the waters of the Paiva and Corgo de Segões.

In this small land, often isolated by heavy snowfalls, a true spirit of mutual support developed.

The communal oven is an example of the common use of equipment, but what stands out the most is the presence of a magnificent set of communal granaries, the largest concentration in Beira Alta, with its threshing floors of pure Beirão granite.

Among the religious and civil architectural heritage, a rock-cut tomb in the Pedrégua area stands out, along with the Baroque-style parish church and the Chapel of Senhor da Boa Fortuna. Just behind the chapel is the house where Álvaro de Almeida, a distinguished local resident, once lived. He was responsible for numerous improvements in the village, including the installation of the electrical grid, the construction of the primary school, and the establishment of a bus route.

The remarkable cross, the various ‘alminhas’ (wayside shrines), the numerous fountains, the old bridge that connected Segões to Alhais, the landmarks of the University of Coimbra and a whole set of rural-style houses are testimonies of a knowledgeable and hard-working people.

THE WATERS

THAT MOVE

THE MILL

GPS Coordinates: 40.85996, -7.68224

The story that links Segões to the cultivation of bread continues to be told by the numerous mills on the banks of the River Paiva.

Head to Quinta da Regada do Moinho, where the process by which cereals were ground can still be seen.

RIVER

BEACH

OF SEGÕES

Very close to the village, located on the left bank of the River Paiva, is the Segões river beach, which provides intense contact with nature.

Here, the clear waters are full of salts, which gives them a dark tone, and are highly sought after for the treatment of skin diseases.