Vale de Prados

   Macedo de Cavaleiros

 The civil parish of Vale de Prados was a village and main council until 1836, year of its suppressing, becoming thereafter part of the council of Cortiços. When this too was extinct on the 31st of December 1853, this civil parish became part of the Council and Jurisdiction of Macedo de Cavaleiros.

 Its Pillory, which is considered a National Monument, stands out amongst its built heritage. It was reconstructed in the XVIII century and is located in the square in front of the 17th century Church. The monument is surrounded by guards with chains. The column ends in a round capital in which a cross with equal arms having zoomorphic and anthropomorphic figures in its tops and intervals. This Church, the St. Christopher’s Chapel and the Saint Catherine’s Chapel are its religious built heritage. In front of Saint Catherine’s Chapel a peculiar fountain can be found. This fountain was mentioned in the “Aquilégio Medicinal” written by Miranda Henriques, who was King João V’s physician.

The Arrifana village is located next to the Vale de Prados Civil Parish. There is a Chapel in honour of St. Stephen in this village that is noteworthy. Arrifana is a village where friars hid when the religious orders were extinct in the 19th century.