Chancelaria: Church, Mills and Hiking Landscape

Chancelaria combines the history of a parish with a rural hiking landscape. On the edge of the village stands the Igreja Paroquial de Chancelaria; the Moinhos da Pena recall the area’s former grain milling. There is also the PR3 TNV Moinhos da Pena, a 9-kilometre circular hiking trail through extensive olive groves on the Chã da Serra plateau. This gives you two main points of interest when planning your trip: local cultural history and a hike with a clearly stated distance.

Church and local religious history

The Igreja Paroquial de Chancelaria is the successor to an earlier, very simple church, which was also dedicated to Santa Eufémia. In front of the church stands a cross with the insignia of the Passion carved on both sides. It probably dates from 1679 and bears the inscription “Lvz et vita”. The building’s history and the cross offer different points of interest: one concerns the succession of two churches, while the other focuses on the inscription and religious symbols of a distinctive object.

Moinhos da Pena and hiking route

Eight of the twelve Moinhos da Pena are located in the municipality of Chancelaria. The mills were once used to grind grain. This use places the group within the region’s agricultural history. There is also an information board at the Moinhos da Pena with details about the group of windmills. It adds information about the group as a whole to the story of their former function. The figures distinguish the total number of mills from the number within the municipality: there are twelve in the group, eight of them in Chancelaria.

The PR3 TNV Moinhos da Pena is a 9-kilometre circular hiking trail. It follows rural paths through extensive olive groves on the Chã da Serra plateau. The route’s shape and landscape describe different aspects: its circular form defines the route, while the olive groves and rural paths shape its character. The total distance gives you a concrete measure for planning; you can allow for your own walking pace.

Landscape, water and early settlement

At its northern end, the route runs for about one kilometre alongside the Ribeira do Caneiro. This approximate distance refers to one section, not the entire circular route. The Pena d’Água is a karst spring that feeds the Ribeira do Alvorão. The section alongside the Caneiro and the spring’s connection to the Alvorão therefore represent different aspects of the natural landscape. Evidence of human settlement dating from the Neolithic period, from 10,000 to 5,000 BC, has been found at the Abrigo da Pena d’Água. This archaeological timeframe adds a connection to early settlement to the cultural themes.

Festa de Santa Eufémia

The Festa de Santa Eufémia takes place every year in Chancelaria on the second weekend of August. If you plan to time your trip around the festival, check the event dates before travelling. The stated period provides a specific reference point for planning your dates.

Discover more destinations: Assentiz, Torres Novas, Ribeira Branca, Zibreira.

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