Refojos de Basto

From the Monastery to Basto, each stop opens a history in Refojos. Around the Plaza de la República, the Monastery of São Miguel marks the historic center. The statue of Basto, the pillory, Casa do Barão and Casa do Tempo invite to continue the discovery. The festivals of São Miguel gather fair, devotion and encounter.

A village that grew up around the monastery

In the town's headquarters, the Monastery of São Miguel and Praça da República give the starting point to know Refojos de Basto. The baroque church, the zimbarium, the butcher, the organs and the cloisters hold different phases of their history. The monastic set is documented in the early 12th century, although the exact date of the foundation is unknown.

The Couto and the transformation of the village

In the parochial relationship of 1758, Refojos is described as lordship of the abbot of the monastery. The extinction of religious orders in 1834 marked a change in the uses of the whole and the relationship between the old fence and the village. The Paços do Conselho, Casa do Barão and the spaces of cultural interpretation allow to continue the discovery of this urban transformation.

The Basto: object and narrative

The statue of the Basto is a local symbol associated with the legend of Hermígio Romarigues and the defense of the monastery. The legendary narrative is distinct from the material history of the sculpture. The feasts of São Miguel combine devotion, fair and regional meeting. Refojos was once again a distinct parish in 2025; it should not be confused with the parish of Cabeceiras de Basto, known as São Nicolau.

The fair and the post office in the 19th century

The relationship of Refojos of 1758 describes the São Miguel fair between 28 and 30 of September, with payment of the places to the monastery and intervention of the abbot and officers. It also identifies the mail in the Raposeira. The document shows commercial, administrative and communication functions close to the monastic core. The calendar of this source should not be used as an announcement of a current edition of the feasts.

Water and settlement beyond the square

The same report situates in Ponte de Pé the confluence of courses coming from Rio Douro and from São Nicolau and mentions irrigation, dams and mills. The center of Refojos was part of a network of places and agricultural land, not only of the monastery's yard. The lattice, Moroccan and tannaria referred to by the municipality add crafts to the reading of the village. The aerial image of the square is a framework of the center, not the totality of the parish.