Eastern Way
Fronteira < > Cabeço de Vide
Stage 14
According to legend, it was at the head (“Cabeço”) of a hill that the survivors of the plague that followed a Saracen attack took refuge and, recovering their health, from then on they called it “Cabeço de Vida” (Head of Life). Cabeço de Vide is our next destination, where the Roman settlement overlapped the previous occupations, known since the Neolithic period, and left a strong influence in the region. There used to pass a subsidiary road of the important road that connected Lisbon to Mérida and served the Sulfúrea thermal springs, where ruins of a bathhouse were found as well as many other archaeological vestiges of that period.
More recently, NASA researchers have also visited this valley, when it was discovered that the unusual pH (11.5) of the hyper alkaline waters of this site indicated hydrogeological conditions very similar to those of the geology detected on Mars! Cabeço de Vide became an autonomous town by charter passed by D. Manuel I in 1512. The pillory, symbol of municipal autonomy, dates back to that time. It is a simple and rustic heritage element, with an octagonal shaft and a conical edge in the shape of a pine cone. In the capital are two small relief shields, symbolizing the alliance between the crown weapons and those of the county. The pillory should occupy the place for which it was designed, in front of the former city hall and jailhouse, in the vicinity of the castle.
Although the reasons that led to its construction are unknown, the castle should date from an advanced era in the Middle Ages, presumably the 14th century. The main portal opened on the south façade, bears the cross of the Order of Avis. Inside, there are still housing structures, a cistern and a well, which attests to the occupation of the enclosure interior during the late Middle Ages. It was probably at this time that the castle was involved in a barbican, the last stage of the fortress’s constitution before it lost its usefulness in the face of the fire weapons war that triumphed in the Iberian Peninsula from the 17th century onward.
Sulfúrea Thermal Station
In this quiet village of ancient cobbled streets and medieval houses, we find the Capela do Calvário (Chapel of the Calvary). A curious circular temple, built at an undetermined moment of the 16th or 18th century. It is possible that its construction has been determined by a regional pilgrimage to Calvary site, but, in 1758, this tradition had already been lost. At that time, the chapel had no festivities and belonged to the Order of Avis.
Inside, the dome painted in celestial blue and the painting depicting the Calvary stand out. We also discover the Igreja de Nossa Senhora das Candeias church, which already existed in 1538, when the parish priest was Pedro Leborato, a professed member of the Order of Avis. The temple, although somewhat simple, has elements from the 16th century, specifically the main portal which is of straight lintel topped by two small pinnacles at the ends and axis cross. The interior is of a unique nave, but widening in chapels near its head. The altarpieces are late baroque and profusely polychromed, the main altarpiece being opened by a large throne with the image of the patron saint.
Church of Espírito Santo
A vague tradition indicates that the Church of the Holy Spirit already existed in 1211, which is doubtful. The monument was completely rebuilt in the mid-16th century, according to a Mudejar style Manueline project, as can be seen in the battlements that overlook the temple’s façades. The main doorway, in a perfectly shaped round arch, is already part of the transition to Renaissance style. The interior has a single nave covered with a ribbed vault, and the main altarpiece dates back to the 19th century. In the churchyard, we can see a 16th-century wayside cross, contemporary of the temple’s construction, crowned by a cross in which the Crucified Christ and Our Lady of Pity were portrayed, the ensemble being topped by a Holy Spirit dove.
Chapel of Senhora dos Anjos
and also…
Summer Feast of Cabeço de Vide − July
Sulfúrea Thermal Baths of Cabeço de Vide
Known since the Roman occupation, the Súlfurea Thermal Bathss are today an important therapeutic and leisure center, framed in a beautiful garden, in the Alentejo landscape. Its waters are indicated for osteoarticular and rheumatic, upper and lower respiratory, allergic and skin diseases.
This is a stage we enjoy doing on hot days. A short and flat stage, through the new ecopath that replaced the deactivated railway line, which ends with the freshness of a dip in the river pool of Termas da Sulfúrea medicinal waters! Encouraged by this perspective, we go down the avenue of Heróis dos Atoleiros towards the old railway station. On the way, we have the opportunity to visit the Centro de Interpretação da Batalha de Atoleiros (Atoleiros Battle Interpretation Center). In this museum, we discover the anonymous heroes of this battle, decisive in history. Through special technology, we feel at the centre of the battlefield and see the process of the famous “square tactic”, an English-inspired military technique, which led the Portuguese army to victory.
At the end of the avenue, we enter the ecopath, on the left, next to the old barrier station that used to close the Estrada de Santo Amaro road when the train was passing. We leave the city for the countryside and circulate quietly next to successive hills, as if by train. Between the olive trees, cereals and streams, the Path leads us to the bridge over the Ribeira Grande stream, from where we get good photographic perspectives of this green valley. Further away, on the horizon, the view reaches now our destination, the white houses of Cabeço de Vide.
At kilometer 10 we detour from the ecopath to climb Rua da Associação until the entrance of Cabeço de Vide. After 200 metres, we reach a crossroad and we have the possibility to choose the road on the right, which the sign indicates the direction to Quinta do Cabeçote and also gives direct and faster access to the Termas da Sulfúrea thermal springs. If we are well supplied and determined to spend the night in the thermal baths, this can be an alternative to consider. In that farm, we can’t miss the falconry demonstration, an ancient art that remains in some places of the Alentejo and Ribatejo. In the southwest, at the Barragem da Póvoa dam, we can also fish for plenty of barbels and largemouth basses with the farm’s fishing material.
Otherwise, or if we prefer to discover the leafy village of Cabeço de Vide first, we go up Rua da Associação and, just after the Praça de Touros (Bullring), turn right until the wide Avenida da Libertação. Determined to explore all corners of the village, we go up the avenue until the Parish Council, about halfway, on the left side. Already with a full sackcloth and after walking all the alleys, we descend through Rua do Santo Mártir and then through a narrow rural alleyway to the site of the thermal baths. Before the day is over, we still bathe in these waters, unique in the country, a moment appreciated by that part of us that, literally, is closer to the Path!
Tips
Always carry water, supplies, sunscreen, a hat, waterproof, comfortable shoes, and a map.
Support
Frontaxis
Supermarket
Coffee
Forja Bar
Public Entities
Cabeço de Vide Parish Council
+351 245 634 206
Health
Health Centre
Pharmacy
Points of Interest
Espírito Santo Church
Cabeço de Vide Main Church
or Nossa Senhora das Candeias de Cabeço de Vide Church
Cabeço de Vide Fortress and Fort
Cabeço de Vide Clock Tower
Cabeço de Vide Castle
Cabeço de Vide Wayside cross
USEFUL CONTACTS
Emergency: 112
Forest Fires: 117
GNR Cabeço de Vide − National Republican Guard: +351 245 634 103
CODE OF CONDUCT
Do not leave the marked and signaled route. Do not approach cliffs. Pay attention to the markings. Do not dispose of organic or inorganic waste during the trail, take a bag for this purpose. If you see garbage, collect it, help us to keep the Paths clean. Beware of livestock, don’t bother the animals. Leave Nature intact. Do not collect plants, animals or rocks. Avoid making noise. Respect private property, close gates and barriers. Don’t light fires and be careful with cigarettes. Do not vandalize the Paths signage.
