Stories of Cabeceiras

In the relationship of Santa Senhorinha of 1758, Olela appears as a place of fairs in December, February and March. The parish priest refers payments for settlement and rights. It is a window on local exchanges of that time, not the calendar of markets today. The text specifies the days: 14 and 15 December, 24 and 25 February and 27 March. The dates belong to the account of 1758.

The Municipal Market building was purpose-built and opened in 1997. The municipal description explains that, in 2013, its basement and first floor began housing the Casa da Juventude, Associativismo, Artes, Ofícios e Gerações, while the market remained on the ground floor. The stalls belong to a space the municipality also presents as a meeting place. Shopping, conversation and participation in local life therefore fit within the same building’s history.

Formigueiro’s memory brings together throws, bedspreads, towels and blankets made from wool, linen and rags. The municipal guide connects their sale with the São Miguel fair in Cabeceiras and the Santa Luzia fair in Arco de Baúlhe.

Following these textiles connects work within the village with the movement of people and goods. The account preserves a memory of trade, not a list of present-day stalls.