ESCALOS DE BAIXO
N 39.88647º; W 7.39585º
Escalos de Baixo was a Portuguese parish in the municipality of Castelo Branco, in the province of Beira Baixa, Centro region (Beiras Region) and sub-region of Beira Interior Sul, with an area of 46.09 km² and 746 inhabitants (2011). Its population density is 16.2 inhabitants/km².
It was extinguished in 2013, having been added to the parish of Mata, to form a new parish called União das Freguesias de Escalos de Baixo and Mata, of which it is the headquarters.
Patrimony
Chapels of Nossa Senhora das Neves, S. Sebastião and Santo António
Manor houses
Fountain
Roman archaeological remains
Graves of Monte de S. Luís
Graves in Gândara and Fonte da Bica
Moinheca Bridge over the Ponsul River
Granja de S. Luís Hot Springs.
Culture
Belgais Center for the Study of the Arts
Maria João Pires created the Belgais Center for the Study of Arts in 1999, in Escalos de Baixo, an educational, pedagogical and cultural project, with an impact on the region, which received support from the Ministry of Education. Ten years later, in 2009, the center closed, citing a difficult economic and financial situation at the time.
In 2018, the project was renovated and reactivated as the Belgais Arts Center, offering musical retreats, space for performances and music workshops. There is also accommodation and olive oil production facilities.
