Cardenha das Formiguinhas | Cultural Heritage | Mountain | Nature

Description:
Between stone walls and moss, Cardenha das Formiguinhas, located in Branda de Santo António de Val de Poldros, invites you to slow down and experience the authenticity of centuries-old traditions, where every night spent here is a return to your roots and the serenity of nature!

The name “Formiguinhas” comes from the nickname of the family who now owns the house, which was passed on to their three daughters, hence “Formiguinhas”!

Restored with great care and attention to detail, this accommodation invites you to enter through its small door and discover the grandeur of those who knew how to preserve it with affection and good taste!

Cardenha das Formiguinhas is actually a group of three cardenhas (traditional houses) that tell us a little about the architectural evolution of these dwellings, which date back to the 12th century.

On the first floor, which has two levels, you will find the kitchen with an electric hob, fridge, microwave, air fryer, toaster, coffee machine and electric coffee maker. Equipped with crockery and utensils so you can cook your own mountain-flavoured meals! Downstairs, descending the stairs that are true sculptures of the artist's house, you will find the living area with a bar, sofa (sofa bed), wood-burning stove, Smart-TV and free Wi-Fi.

Leaving this room and entering the middle room, which is only one storey high, you can relax in the bedroom, which has been carefully prepared so that your rest is lulled by the sounds of nature. In this room, a connection has been opened to the last and smallest room, creating a suite between the two, complete with a bathroom with shower.

Although it can accommodate up to four people with the sofa bed, this is located in the main room of the cottage, with no internal connection to the bedroom suite.In the small courtyard surrounding them, you will find a stone table and benches in the shade of the birch tree, perfect for long meals outdoors, where the barbecue can be a great ally for sampling the flavours and cuisine of the land!

This Portuguese cottage is a small historic space, a unique example of what a cardenha is, prepared with the utmost comfort so that you can make the most of your stay!





But what are Cardenhas anyway?

Well, for your information, cardenha is the name given to this type of dwelling where the “brandeiro” (the person who lived in the Branda) slept upstairs and the animals slept on the ground floor or in the barns next door. They also had a sheltered space for the dog and chickens, as can be seen at the bottom and top of the staircase of this Cardenha das Formiguinhas. They were mainly built of stone, including the roof with a false dome and wooden floor, materials that could be found in the surrounding hills. With a fireplace for cooking and heating on cold nights, the doors of the cardenhas are low because of the harsh mountain climate, as protection against the cold, and it is said that people used to be shorter in the old days. They all had their own ‘quinteirinho’, a small space in front of the house with a birch, oak or chestnut tree to provide shade on the hottest days of summer.Studies say that they date back to at least the 12th century and were also part of the route taken by monks on their way to the Monastery of Fiães, in Melgaço, who used them as mountain shelters.

Although they look like shelters, their architecture is more complex and worthy of study by engineers and architects.



Learn a little about the history of this unique accommodation from the person who prepared it for you and who is now its current owner!

'At an altitude of around 1,100 metres, in Val de Poldros, history tells us that, even in the time of D. Afonso Henriques, wild horses roamed these landscapes, giving the place its name. This Branda may have already existed at that time, yes, a branda... because it was in the summer that people from the lower parts of the mountains, the so-called “Brandeiros”, came here. They came from Riba de Mouro, Tangil and Santa Marinha. They left their winter homes, where they lived during the winter, after sowing the corn, around the month of May. They climbed up with their cattle and ox carts, creaking under the weight they carried and equipped with the essentials to live here high up in the mountains, where pasture was abundant until the season of São Miguel (September/October), the time of harvest and return to the winter quarters. There were no roads and the journey was made along difficult paths... imagine the pilgrimage up the mountain!

From Santa Marinha, “ti Bal” (Valdemar) climbed with his cattle towards Cardenha, which he owned.



It was during a walk in the 1990s that I discovered this charming place. An extraordinary place, unlike any other, right in front of the top of Pedrinho, a mountain range that belongs to the parish of Sistelo. I was coming from Monção, heading towards Peneda, along the Chão do Rego path... little did I know that I was walking the path of the branders.

You can't imagine my amazement when I arrived at the crossroads, where I stood admiring these little houses with stone tiles, and the cardenha do “ti Bal” was, for me, the most beautiful in Branda!

Little did I know that one day it would be mine...

A few springs passed and a friend, Luís, a baker from Riba de Mouro, showed up at my house. He already had a house here, where we were sometimes invited to have parties.

He dragged me into this adventure:

‘Come with me to look at a business opportunity, to buy a farmhouse!’

My reaction was: ‘Are you crazy? I'm not planning anything like that!’

He insisted: ‘Come with me!’

And so, off I went to Santo António de Val de Poldros with Luís. When we got there, standing in front of the cross, Luís said: ‘This is it! You won't get another chance, it's the only one you can negotiate, the others have too many heirs.’

This was the grave of “ti Bal”, the last flag bearer of Santo António de Val de Poldros! My wife Zaira and I couldn't resist.

We restored it with the utmost care and delicacy, as we had a work of art in our hands! I had to preserve the original, the moss, the stones, the vegetation, as I am aware that it is part of my homeland's cultural heritage.

Deep down, it is my tribute to the many men and women who passed through here, who brandished here, in this place that once had more life, as can be seen from the number of cardenhas that exist down the mountain to the river Vez and through the fields where hay, potatoes and rye were grown, where the land was fertile.

It was here in this square, next to this cross, that people would gather in the moonlight, singing, dancing and telling stories...

This is part of my story, but there is certainly much more to tell! All that remains is for me to ask anyone who comes here to respect this place and honour the heritage it conveys to us!





Video:

Registry: 168603/AL