VILA VELHA DE RÓDÃO
N 39º 39' 00'' ; W 7º 40' 12''
1 700 inhabitants.
It is the seat of a municipality with 329.91 km² of area and 3,521 inhabitants (2011), subdivided into 4 parishes. The municipality is limited to the north and east by the municipality of Castelo Branco, to the southeast by Spain, to the south by Nisa, and to the west by Mação and Proença-a-Nova.
Communication ways
The municipality of Vila Velha de Ródão is at the intersection of two major communication axes:
- north-south link between Beira Baixa and Alto Alentejo, historically used as a transhumance route by the herds that grazed in the Serra da Estrela in the summer and crossed the Tagus on ferry bridges; the current metal bridge dates from 1888 and the crossing by the crown of the Fratel dam, currently integrated with the main route IP2, dates from 1973;
- east-west axis connecting to the coast, historically constituted by the Tagus River and used by sailing boats supported by towpaths; river transport was dethroned from 1891 by rail, with the construction of the Beira Baixa line, which includes the Ródão station; the current A23 motorway also follows this axis.
It is the seat of a municipality with 329.91 km² of area and 3,521 inhabitants (2011), subdivided into 4 parishes. The municipality is limited to the north and east by the municipality of Castelo Branco, to the southeast by Spain, to the south by Nisa, and to the west by Mação and Proença-a-Nova.
Communication ways
The municipality of Vila Velha de Ródão is at the intersection of two major communication axes:
- north-south link between Beira Baixa and Alto Alentejo, historically used as a transhumance route by the herds that grazed in the Serra da Estrela in the summer and crossed the Tagus on ferry bridges; the current metal bridge dates from 1888 and the crossing by the crown of the Fratel dam, currently integrated with the main route IP2, dates from 1973;
- east-west axis connecting to the coast, historically constituted by the Tagus River and used by sailing boats supported by towpaths; river transport was dethroned from 1891 by rail, with the construction of the Beira Baixa line, which includes the Ródão station; the current A23 motorway also follows this axis.
The Romans settled here in the 1st century AD In the 7th century, the place was part of the Visigoth Empire, a castle built here is attributed to King Wamba. During the Reconquista, the local Tagus fortress has been a strategically important defense point against the Moors since the 11th century.
Vila Velha de Ródão was an important port in the interior of the region, but with the arrival of the railroad in 1885, it lost its importance as a logistics hub. The Celtejo paper mill, opened in 1971 and later integrated into Portucel, has become an important element in the development of the village.
Smells from the paper mill often spread throughout the surroundings.
There are boats for taking trips on the Tagus River.
Around 2005, earthworks were started to build a spectacular camping site. Associated with the tourist center (hotel, restaurant, and swimming pools) that exists right next to the place where the camping would be built, it would become an important factor for the development of Vila Velha de Ródão. With the change of political orientation in the municipality, a lady president of the municipality appeared, who, in an absolutely amazing way, destroyed all plans and wasted the work already carried out. A real calamity.
The tourist center has been closed for years. This is the result of the nefarious action of many mayors whose qualifications are solely those of belonging to a certain political party.
If it weren't for the existence of the paper mill, nothing would exist.
According to data from the National Statistics Institute on December 31, 2013, Vila Velha de Ródão was the municipality with the highest mortality rate, with 28.8 deaths per thousand inhabitants - a number almost three times higher than the national average. In addition to the loss of population and the high mortality rate, Ródão is a leader in another demographic indicator: it is the second municipality in Portugal, after Torre de Moncorvo, with the lowest gross birth rate. In Vila Velha de Ródão there are 2.5 births per thousand inhabitants.
However, even though it is one of the councils most marked by aging, the number of young people aged 0-14 years for the first time in many years grew from 2017 to 2018, jumping from 173 to 185, unexpectedly becoming the only municipality in Beira Baixa to achieve such a feat.
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VILAS RUIVAS
N 39.65336º; W 7.70652º
Vilas Ruivas is a sparsely populated village, located near the town of Portas de Ródão and Castelejo. It belongs to the Municipality of Vila Velha de Ródão, in the District of Castelo Branco.
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