The boy who launches boats is dedicated to whom. A boy launching a boat in Portugal to whom a monument. Travel from a to z. Sabroza map in Russian. Travel from A to Z: all about Brussels

Any advertising brochure about Belgium or about Brussels will invariably contain a picture of a Manneken Pis statue - it is this fountain (a naked boy spurting a stream into a small pool) that is the main attraction of the country. In fact, if it weren’t for the crowds of tourists photographing the fountain from all sides, you can easily walk past the Manneken Pis: it is quite tiny and is located, although in the center, but at the corner of the intersection of streets. So what's so special about it?

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Now, of course, especially during the tourist season, it is almost impossible to walk past this fountain: despite the fact that it is fenced and you can’t get close to Manneken Pis, there will always be a lot of city guests and souvenir sellers around. Copies of Manneken Pis are made of chocolate, caramel, metal and plastic, in the form of a corkscrew and in the form of a key ring, his image is printed on T-shirts, caps and bags. Manneken Pis is now a real Belgian brand.

When exactly the first statue of Manneken Pis appeared is not known for certain. But the one that can be seen today was cast in 1619 by Jérôme Duquesnoy the Elder. Later, the statue was stolen several times (the last time the statue was stolen in the 1960s), so the Belgian authorities had to do exactly the same as the Danish with the Little Mermaid - a copy of the statue was installed in the city center, and the original was securely hidden.

However, there is a version that a similar fountain stood at this place long before 1619, possibly even from 1388. There are two versions of why this statue was created at all. According to the first version, the boy depicts the son of Gottfried III of Leuven, whose cradle was hung high on a tree in 1142 during the decisive battle of the Grimbergen War. The kid was supposed to inspire the troops with his appearance and tease the enemy, and, according to legend, during the battle, the kid wrote from above on the fighting warriors.

The second legend dates back to the 14th century, when Brussels was under siege, and the enemy was about to penetrate the walls of the city, placing explosives under the fortification. A boy named Yulianske saw this and, not knowing what else to do, simply urinated on the explosive and put out the fuse, and thus saved the entire city.

There are less pretentious stories of the appearance of the statue. One of them, for example, tells of a wealthy visiting merchant whose son ran away and disappeared while they were visiting Brussels. All forces were thrown into the search for the boy, and indeed, the boy was found. He was discovered just at the moment when he was writing in the garden, suspecting nothing. The joyful merchant, according to legend, was so glad that his heir was alive and well that he decided to erect an entire fountain in honor of his son.

The fourth legend is similar to the previous one, only instead of a rich merchant, a local woman lost her son, and in a panic she began to run and ask every passer-by if they had seen her son, even pestering the mayor of the city. After a long search, the boy was found urinating on a street corner.

One way or another, since then, a whole tradition has formed around the statue to change the boy's outfits. Although the baby is small in size, you definitely cannot find another such fashionista among the statues. Now Manneken Pis has several hundred outfits, a dress calendar, and even special Manneken Pis Friends who are responsible for changing clothes on time.

Near the fountain in the central square of the city in the Royal Museum there is an exposition of Manneken Pis costumes, which has more than 800 outfits. At the beginning of each year, dates and outfits for the statue are approved, and Friends make sure that all outfits are put on on time and safely sent to the museum afterwards.

It is believed that the first costume for a boy was sent by the Elector of Bavaria Maximilian-Emmanuel in 1698, and these clothes can also be seen in the Museum, but the main part of the exposition, of course, gathered during the 20th century. Every time a boy is dressed, it happens in a solemn atmosphere, accompanied by a playing orchestra.

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The sun brings April.
Pride in the eyes
courage in the heart
Sea to his knees

The wind helps the boy
The sun sends smiles.
The boy launches the boat
The girl is walking by.

I remember yesterday,
Childhood distant trill ...
A lot of enthusiasm, courage
You gave us April!
5.04.2010
Inspired by spring streams and even found such a picture on the Internet!

Reviews

Okay, but I, like you, love constructive criticism.
In the 3rd line, you need to do "Brave boy and brave", different forms of the verb do not look.
And here is the place:
The boy launches the boat
The girl is walking by.
Somehow over the top trite. I would suggest doing something like this:
The boy plays the pilot
The girl is supposed to be waiting.
Come visit and critique something.
Sincerely.
Nikolay.

This is not constructive criticism, Nicholas. It's a game for the sake of the game.
There are no obvious violations of versification in my verse.

The sun brings April.
That boy dared and brave, /
There is not even a verb in the 3rd line, what time can we talk about?
But with "necessary" - this is already over ... this is not correct))).
And as for the banality: the verse should provide the reader with some kind of suggestion for fantasy. You can be a pilot, a boatswain or a simple sailor ... the verse is not on the marine theme.
The verse described what he saw, through which LG and indulged in memories.
And after reading, anyone can remember their own ...
Thank you, however, for your attention and response, and for the points too))), Nikolai.

That's right, it's a game for the game's sake. But poetry, like all literature, is also a game for the sake of a game. Regardless of whether the works are "cries of the soul" or "punning jokes". Why is there poetry, life itself is a game, otherwise it’s not worth living. So any, the most constructive criticism is a game. VG Belinsky was a great actor.
Oh I'm a sheep! I was drunk yesterday, so I confused the verb with the adjective. But the adjectives are obviously in different forms.
As for "The Brave Boy and the Brave" - ​​I take my words back. Only now it has dawned, because this is "butter oil", bold and brave - one and the same. Therefore, the problem of changing this line remains relevant.

The daily audience of the Potihi.ru portal is about 200 thousand visitors, who in total view more than two million pages according to the traffic counter, which is located to the right of this text. Each column contains two numbers: the number of views and the number of visitors.

2nd place (352 points)

3rd place (345 points)

4th place (335 points)

5th place (326 points)

6th place (318 points)

7th place (306 points)

8th place (301 points)

9th place (297 points)

10th place (293 points)

Questions and answers

Numbers in brackets indicate the number of accepted responses for each option.

• What figure glorified Kazimir Malevich?
  • Athletic (0);
  • Stylistic (0);
  • Chess (6);
  • Geometric is the correct answer (60);
• Which African country was a Belgian colony?
  • Angola (22);
  • Uganda (9);
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo is the correct answer (23);
  • Mozambique (14);
• What is the name of a young lady who extracts milk from a cow?
  • Milk Producer (0);
  • Milkmaid is the correct answer (66);
  • Molokanka (0);
  • Thrush (3);
• How many sons did Tsar Dadon have in Alexander Pushkin's "The Tale of the Golden Cockerel"?
  • None (14);
  • One (16);
  • Two is the correct answer (7);
  • Three (33);
• Chanterelle-sister, runaway bunny, goat-...?
  • Dragonfly (5);
  • Dereza is the correct answer (56);
  • Egoza (6);
  • Iron (1);
• What was the name of the mythical horse, from the blow of whose hooves the streams and rivers boiled?
  • Sleipnir (15);
  • Skyphos is the correct answer (37);
  • Baishubar (10);
  • Babyeka (6);
• What is the name of the movable part of a knight's helmet?
  • A visor is the correct answer (63);
  • Watched (1);
  • Mirror (4);
  • Morgalo (1);
• Which family members starred in the 2005 TV series Cursed Kings?
  • Depardieu is the correct answer (27);
  • Belmondo (19);
  • Richard (14);
  • Delon (8);
• What is the title of Jack London's story?
  • "Black tooth" (0);
  • "Silver Mouth" (2);
  • "Grey neck" (0);
  • "White fang" is the correct answer (67);
• In what case do they “take reefs” on a sailboat?
  • When disembarking (7);
  • In strong winds, this is the correct answer (21);
  • In case of a leak in the hold (12);
  • In the absence of wind (26);
• Sailors crossing what traditionally celebrate Neptune's festival?
  • Greenwich meridian (8);
  • Southern Tropic (2);
  • Equator is the correct answer (54);
  • South Pole (3);
• What ancient city did the Chaldeans fight for?
  • Carthage (31);
  • Athens (6);
  • Babylon is the correct answer (20);
  • Rome (9);
• What was the name of the paramilitary game of high school students in the USSR?
  • Crow (1);
  • Falcon (2);
  • Eaglet is the correct answer (62);
  • Hawk (2);
• How many players are on the curling team?
  • Three (17);
  • Six (14);
  • Five (11);
  • Four is the correct answer (25);
• What is the divisor of all numbers?
  • Number 0 (13);
  • Number 2 (7);
  • Number 10 (4);
  • The number 1 is the correct answer (43);
• Who is the monument to whom in the Portuguese town of Sabroz is called "Boy Launching Boats"?
  • Amerigo Vespucci (5);
  • Ferdinand Magellan is the correct answer (20);
  • Christopher Columbus (19);
  • Vasco da Gama (21);
• What number in Russian lotto was called "stools"?
  • 66 (6);
  • 77 (2);
  • 22 (3);
  • 44 is the correct answer (54);
• What is the name of the main art museum in Munich?
  • Canvas (7);
  • Glyptothek (12);
  • Picture library (16);
  • Pinakothek is the correct answer (29);
• Why is the lyrical hero of Yuri Kukin's song chasing?
  • For money (1);
  • For love (7);
  • For a dream (8);
  • Behind the fog is the correct answer (48);
• What color makeup in Japanese kabuki theater symbolizes strength, courage, justice?
  • Green (12);
  • Orange (16);
  • Red is the correct answer (22);
  • Black (14);
• Which Russian city does not have a subway?
  • Voronezh is the correct answer (48);
  • Nizhny Novgorod (2);
  • Novosibirsk (6);
  • Samara (7);
• What term was coined in 1917 by Guillaume Apollinaire's review of the ballet Parade?
  • Pluralism (22);
  • Surrealism is the correct answer (20);
  • Maximalism (11);
  • Realism (12);
• What is a person who does nothing called?
  • Resting (6);
  • Idle is the correct answer (48);
  • Goofy (6);
  • Walking (4);
• Who became the last Nobel laureate from Russia in the twentieth century?
  • Alexey Abrikosov (4);
  • Zhores Alferov is the correct answer (25);
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  • Mikhail Gorbachev (26);
• What do they say about a person with bad intentions: "Keep ..."?
  • Knife in the sleeve (6);
  • Brass knuckles in pocket (0);
  • Ax under the bench (0);
  • A stone in the bosom is the correct answer (57);
• What play did Lope de Vega write?
  • "Fencing teacher" (17);
  • "Teacher of good manners" (10);
  • "Dance teacher" is the correct answer (33);
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• How do Panamanian golden frogs communicate?
  • Infrasound (20);
  • Speech(0);
  • Ultrasound (34);
  • Sign language is the correct answer (9);
• What was the name of the gunboat that fought alongside the Varyag cruiser against the Japanese squadron?
  • "Vietnamese" (6);
  • "Chinese" (3);
  • "Japanese" (10);
  • "Korean" is the correct answer (44);
• What is sometimes said about the breakdown of a device?
  • Flew - this is the correct answer (63);
  • Ran (0);
  • Floated (0);
  • Crawled (0);
• The length of the boa constrictor is 12 meters, or 48 parrots. What is the length of the parrot?
  • 35 centimeters (14);
  • 25 centimeters is the correct answer (12);
  • 15 centimeters (19);
  • 45 centimeters (14);

One of the most famous sights in Brussels, and certainly the most popular among tourists, is a small bronze statue of a naked pissing boy, located at the intersection of Bannoy streets ( Rue de l'Étuve / Stoofstraat) and Oak ( Rue du Chene / Eikstraat) near the square grand place.

Manneken Pis (Little Julien) on the map of Brussels

There are several legends about the appearance of a funny playful monument in Brussels:

Legend #1 "The Little Mischief and the Wicked Witch"

A long time ago, near the place where the Manneken Pis monument is now, stood the house of an evil witch. Everyone tried to bypass this house, but one little naughty, having decided to play a little trick, went to the door and began to relieve his small need right on the threshold of the house. Seeing this, the witch became so indignant and angry that she turned the boy into a stone statue.

Legend #2 "Little Hero"

Once upon a time of medieval bloody wars Brussels was under siege. To capture the city, the enemies decided to blow up the fortress walls. The besieging troops planted explosives under the wall of Brussels and, moving to a safe distance, set fire to the fuse. Only little boy Julien saw the danger approaching. From the wall he urinated on the explosives, putting out the fuse, and while the besiegers waited for the explosion, Julien managed to call for help. The city was saved, and a kind of monument was erected to the little hero.

Legend #3 "The Rich Merchant and His Son"

Once upon a time in Brussels there lived a wealthy merchant who didted on his little son. And then one day the boy, playing in the street, disappeared somewhere. The merchant was dying of grief. Local residents decided to help the poor fellow and all together began to look for the boy. After some time, the boy was found in one of the gardens of the city, where he carelessly urinated on the bushes. The happy merchant, in gratitude to the sympathetic people of Brussels, built in the garden where his son was found, a small fountain with a sculpture of a pissing boy.

Legend #4 "The Courageous Heir"

During one of the battles of the Grimbergen Wars Duke Gottfried III hung the cradle with his son on a tall tree to inspire the fighting warriors with the view of the future monarch. And the little brave heir, during a bloody battle, urinated on the enemies of his father. After the victory, the duke ordered a monument to his brave heir to be erected.

The great interest of tourists in the monument is explained not only by the many legends about its appearance, but also by the unusual tradition of dressing the Manneken Pis in different costumes.

By the number of outfits in your wardrobe Julien surpassed even the Swedish fashionista. Manneken Pis has so many costumes that a special museum has been created to store them near the monument.

The procedure of dressing up Manneken Pis itself is also interesting, which is accompanied by the playing of a brass band. The dressing schedule and the list of costumes are signed a month in advance and posted on a sign by the fountain. The thing is that the boy is dressed in a variety of costumes, depending on the events taking place both in and around the world. For example, during the celebration of various professional holidays, Julien is put on certain overalls or uniforms, and during the celebration of national holidays - the national clothes of the country in which the holiday takes place. Yes, August 24th Ukraine's Independence Day Manneken Pis is dressed in the national clothes of Ukraine. Julien also has a Russian national outfit, and Manneken Pis also managed to try on the costumes of Count Dracula, Elvis Presley, Mickey Mouse, Napoleon, Santa Claus and many other characters.

He was a soldier, and an Indian, and a football player, and a doctor, and a pilot, and a sailor, and so on.

There is another interesting tradition associated with Manneken Pis. On some holidays, to the delight of tourists, Julien "pees" not with ordinary water, but with wine or beer.

Video Brussels Manneken Pis
(Little Julien) in different outfits

Very often, many tourists are somewhat disappointed after visiting Manneken Pis. Looking at the photographs of Julien in various guidebooks, where he is most often shown in close-up, travelers do not assume that the height of the sculpture is only about 60 centimeters. It's not for nothing that Julien is called small.

But despite its size, the monument is one of the symbols of Brussels and even competes for this title with the giant Atomium (a structure in the form of a crystal lattice of iron, enlarged 165 billion times). This is confirmed by the many different souvenir copies of Manneken Pis made of Belgian chocolate, which are sold in almost every store in Brussels.

Want to learn more about this Belgian mischief-maker? Visit Manneken Pis official website: www.manneken-pis.be .

Travel from A to Z: all about Brussels

The monument to the founders of Kyiv - Kyi, Shchek, Khoriv and their sister Lybid was opened in May 2017 on Poshtova Square. It is located in the upper part of the pedestrian zone, which overlooks the Vladimirsky Spusk.

Before that, there were already two monuments to the legendary founder of the city, Kiy, and his brothers and sister in the capital - in Navodnitsky Park and on Maidan Nezalezhnosti. The new object on Poshtova Square is interesting because the founders of the capital of Kievan Rus are depicted as small children.

The composition consists of four bronze figures of babies. Three boys - the prototypes of Kyi, Shchek and Khoriv - are playing naked with paper boats on the map of Kyiv. The basis of the composition is a stylized map of the capital. The Kiy figurine looks the tallest - his arms are raised up. Cheek stands looking at the boat in his hands. Khoriv, ​​squatting, launches his boat along the Dnieper.

The figurine of a little girl - sister Lybid can be immediately overlooked. She sits a little to the side on a bronze bench, watching her brothers. Little Lybid with a flower in her hair waves to her brothers. There is also a boat on the bench next to her.

The author of the unusual sculptural composition is artist Vladimir Zhuravel. The idea of ​​the monument came to him eight years ago, when he was sculpting a sculpture of his little brother Misha. Then he got the idea to create a group composition, the characters of which would be kids.

The sculptor, at his own expense, cast a bronze figurine of Prince Kyi. He worked on his image for the longest time - eight months, studying the anatomical structure of the child's body. Khoriv and Shchek were created faster - in four and two and a half months. It took a month and a half to go to Lybid. The sculptor sculpted Kyi's face from Misha's younger brother.

Symbolism is hidden in the paper boats that the three brothers launch along the Dnieper. According to the author: “The ship is a symbol of the soul. Everyone has their own boat. Someone holds, someone lets go, and someone has already let go - there is a certain ratio.

The map of Kyiv, on which the little ones Kyi, Shchek and Khoriv are standing, is a separate work of art. The most famous sights of the capital are depicted in detail on the bronze plane. Streets, parks, mountains, lakes, bridges are marked on the map. And also numbered and put on a separate list of 180 attractions - architectural monuments, temples, museums, parks, theaters, fountains.

Along the perimeter of the map, you can read an excerpt from the "Tale of Bygone Years" by Nestor the Chronicler about the founding of Kyiv.

According to an ancient legend, the glades, "living individuals and owning their families in their places," had three brothers - Kyi, Shchek and Khoriv, ​​and their sister was called Lybid. At first, Kiy sat on the mountain, where Borichev vzvoz later arose, Shchek on the mountain, which received the name Shchekovitsa, and Khoriv on the third mountain, which was nicknamed Horivitsa after him. Then they erected a city in the name of their elder brother and called the city Kiev.

4-5 kilometers from Poshtova Square downstream of the Dnieper is located, in the people - Ladya. According to tradition, newlyweds come to him on their wedding day, so that, standing with their backs to the monument, they throw a bouquet of flowers directly into the boat. Then, according to the sign, family life will be long and happy.

Vladimir Zhuravel hopes that people will come to his creation to make wishes. Moreover, the new monument has already given birth to its own legend: if a couple wants their daughter to be born, they need to pat Lybid on the head, and if they have a son, put their hand on the head of one of the little princes. Well, if you touch two at once, there will be twins.

Title: Children's monument to the founders of Kyiv
Date: May 2017
Address: Kyiv, Postal area

Children's monument to the founders of Kyiv on the map of Kyiv

Today, a large textile center, once known only for its monastery, it lies on the Ava River. The most remarkable building of the city is the former monastery of Sao Bento, founded by the Benedictines in the 8th century, and later significantly rebuilt in the 17th century. It now houses an agricultural college.

Penafiel

This small town, located on a high hill above the Sousa River, is interesting for the Renaissance church of Igreja Matris, as well as the complex of Nossa Señora da Piedade, built in 1908 as an amazing mixture of neo-Gothic and Byzantine styles. In Portugal, the city is better known as a center for the production of "green wine".

Amarante

Lying on the Tamega River with an old bridge, trees leaning over the river, and a domed monastery church, this pretty town is one of the pearls of Northern Portugal. Along the narrow streets of the town are 17th-century houses with brightly painted wooden balconies. The first settlement on this site probably dates back to 360 BC. And in 1809, the French almost completely burned the city.

Almost everything in the city is connected with the name of Saint Goncalo, a local saint who was born in the 12th century. He is considered the patron saint of marriage and fertility, they turn to him when they think about marriage or the birth of a child. On the first day of June, the Festa de São Gonçalo takes place, which begins with prayers for the bride or groom, and then continues with dancing, music and the distribution of phallus-shaped "gonçalos" cookies.

When the old Roman bridge over the Tamega collapsed in the 13th century due to a flood, it is believed that Saint Gonçalo replaced it with a new one. The current Ponte de São Gonçalo bridge crosses the river at the monastery, also named after the saint. The monastery of São Gonçalo was built in 1540, but its rich baroque interior dates back to the 18th century. The ashes of the patron saint of the city (died in 1259) lie in the chapel. The image of St. Gonçalo on the tomb has been erased by thousands of kisses and touches from those who seek help. Also worth a visit is the Municipal Museum of Amadeu de Sousa Cardoso (Alameda Teixeira de Pascoaes 10:00-12:30/14:00-17:30, closed on Mondays and holidays), which exhibits works of modern Portuguese art, mainly paintings and sculpture, as well as archaeological finds.

The main exhibits are amazingly interesting paintings by the Amarante-born cubist Amadeu de Sousa-Cardoso (1887-1918), who lived and worked in Paris, where he shared an atelier with Modigliani. Also curious are the figures associated with the fertility cult that preceded San Gosal. These are "diabou" and "diaba" - an opposite-sex pair of devils carved from ebony. In the 19th century, they replaced the more ancient "couple", destroyed during the Napoleonic invasion. These figurines were the center of a local fertility rite, and the Bishop of Braga threatened to burn them. Instead, "diabou" was simply "neutered"...

Mesao Frio

This place is located above the Douro valley to the southeast of Amarante, behind the low ridge of the Serra do Maran, which represents the natural protection of the local vineyards. Here is the beautiful manor house Solar da Rede in the Baroque style, tracing its history back to the 15th century. Now it houses a luxurious backyard. It offers a magnificent view of the Douro and the vineyards.

Peso da Regua

This town is the center of roads and railways of the region. And until 1756, when the Marquis of Pombal chose it as the center of the area set aside for the cultivation of grapes for the production of port wine, it was a village with huts of fishermen and boatmen. From here, "rabelos" loaded with barrels walked through the gorges to Vila Nova de Gaia. These barges were used even after the arrival of the railroad in the 1880s. You can visit the "Casa do Douro" ("House of Douro"), which houses the organization of port wine producers that controls the quality of the vine. Here, under the story about the secrets of making port wine, you can try different types of this wine from special glasses.

Lamego (Lamego)

This former episcopal city with a powerful cathedral is very picturesquely located at the foot of a hill with a famous shrine. Lamego was founded by the Celts. It is believed that meetings of the Cortes were held here, which in 1143 recognized Afonso Henriques as the first king of Portugal. In the 16th century, the importance of the city increased again - already as a center for the production of textiles and winemaking, and beautiful baroque buildings appeared in it.

Today, the main attraction is the shrine of Nossa Señora dos Remedios (Our Lady of Healings, or Medicines) on Mount Santo Estevan.

A small chapel on the top of the mountain, dedicated in 1391 to St. Stephen (Eshtevan), began to attract pilgrims worshiping the Mother of God, and in 1761 on this picturesque place a temple of Our Lady of Healings with two towers was built, which became the most important shrine. It is somewhat similar to the Bon Jesus complex in Braga. The cascade of double staircases of 686 steps leading to it has nine terraces, decorated with luxurious azulejo panels. The staircase and the church seem to be a single ensemble, but the staircase was created only in the 19th century.

From this mountain, 600 meters high, there is a beautiful view of the city and the Douro Valley in the distance. Most of the pilgrims gather here on September 8, for the feast of Nossa Señora dos Remedios. Some climb stairs on their knees.

The Lamego Museum (Largo de Cam?es 10:00-12:30 / 14:00-17:00, closed on Mondays and holidays), founded in 1917 and one of the best provincial museums, is located in the former episcopal palace - a beautiful 18th century building. The museum has a magnificent collection of 16th-century Flemish tapestries and 16th-18th-century paintings, as well as sculptures and furniture.

The pride of the collection is the Creation of Beasts, part of a series of altar panels attributed to the great 16th-century Portuguese artist Grau Vasco. One of the most valuable architectural monuments of the city is the medieval cathedral - Se - in the city center (Largo da Se). This Gothic fortified church, founded in 1129, retains its square tower but was otherwise extensively rebuilt in the 16th and 18th centuries.

4 kilometers from Lamego is the 7th-century Visigothic chapel of San Pedro de Balzemán, the oldest in the country, although a new facade was added to it in the 17th century.

Although Lamego is located in the area reserved for the production of port wine, the city is also famous for the fact that here, in the cellars "Caves da Raposeira", since 1898, the first Portuguese sparkling wine has been produced using the champagne method.

Quintas and vineyards of the Upper Douro

To the east of Peso da Régua and Lamego, continuous vineyards stretch along the slopes of the mountains. This is the area that Pombal was set aside for the production of port wine in the middle of the 18th century. The total area of ​​the port wine production zone is 350,000 hectares, of which one tenth is occupied by vineyards.

The Upper Douro vineyards have existed since Roman times. The wines of the "Douro River" are mentioned in documents of the 14th century, and from the 16th century they gained such a high reputation that they began to be bought for the courts of Lisbon and Madrid, and also exported to Brazil and the eastern colonies. And about the wines of Mesan Frio, Peso da Régua and Lamego, it was generally said that they were "the most excellent." Simultaneously with the "demarcation" of this area, carried out for the first time in the world winemaking practice by the Marquis of Pombal, a special Upper Douro Wine Company was founded to maintain product quality and prices.

The cultural landscape of the Upper Douro with terraces, quintes, villages, chapels and the railway (it is considered the most picturesque in the country) is a fine example of a traditional European wine-producing region - thanks to its integrity and preservation, it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And it is no coincidence that the Portuguese themselves say that the history of the Upper Douro is the history of port wine.

Among the terraces here and there, wine estates are full of red-tiled roofs, where wine is prepared in the fall, which is sent to the cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia in the spring. And on the slopes you can see huge letters with the names of wine companies and their brand names. The most famous wine-growing quintas are located in the Piñana area. Here at the end of October, in commemoration of the end of the grape harvest, there is a festival with dances and music, as well as a demonstration of ancient customs.

In Pignan, the main attraction is the small building of the railway station. It is decorated with 24 azulejo panels depicting mountain landscapes of the Upper Douro, pictures of harvesting grapes, loading barrels of wine on the "rabela". On the walls of the station, you can also see the shepherds of the Upper Douro in suits made of hemp straw, and many other paintings of the life of local residents that have long gone into the past. Apart from São Bento in Porto, the station in Pignan is perhaps the most beautiful in the country.

The wine was traditionally exported along the Douro on barges "rabel". Swimming along the river, full of rapids, shoals and rapids, was extremely dangerous. In 1862, the famous "port baron", the Englishman Joseph James Forrester, died near the town of Cachan de Valeira (the Forrester company founded by him is still flourishing). When the boat capsized, they say, his belt-purse dragged him to the bottom with his weight, but the women who sailed with him were saved, as they were kept on the water by crinolines.

Now the Douro is safe for navigation from Porto to the Spanish border - it was blocked by a cascade of dams that regulate water levels and generate electricity. One of them - Carrapatelu - holds its own record: its 35-meter lock is the second highest in Europe! And on the site of the death of Baron Forrester in 1976, the Valeira dam was built.

A beautiful view of the valley opens from the observation deck of São Salvador do Mundo. Sailors used to pray to the Savior here, asking for help in passing the rapids of Valeira. Girls who dream of getting married still come here.

Sabrosa (SABROSA)

This hilltop village has many 15th-century houses among vineyards overlooking the Piñan River. Magellan was born in one of them in 1480. A memorial plaque hangs on this house, which confirms, though with a caveat - "according to tradition" - this fact. If not for this board, the house is not much different from the neighboring ones, and people live in it too. On the central square, in front of the building of the local government, a small modern swimming pool was built with a monument - a boy launching boats.

Mateus Manor

This estate, whose name is well known around the world thanks to the rose wine "Mateus Rose", is located in the suburbs of the city of Vila Real. Beautiful Palace (November to February 10:00-13:00/14:00-17:00, March to May and October 09:00-13:00/14:00-18:00, June to September 09:00-19:00, closed December 25), which is the quintessence of the Portuguese Baroque, was built by Nicolò Nasoni in the early 18th century for António José Bolelho Mourán. His descendants still live here, but visitors can see the garden and part of the estate itself.

The interiors have magnificent carved wooden ceilings, furniture from different eras, paintings of the 17th-18th centuries, silver and ceramic dishes, as well as a rich library with a wonderful and rare edition of Camões' Lusiades. The manor garden is famous for its beautiful camellias, but the most memorable in it is the so-called "Cedar Tunnel". Measuring 35 meters long and 7.5 meters high, it was created from cedars planted in 1941.

Vila Real

The main city of the province, Douro Alto, is located above the gorge formed by the confluence of the Cabril and Corgu rivers.

The Cathedral (Avenida Carvalho Araujo), built in the 15th-16th centuries, is a fine example of Gothic. It was originally the church of a Dominican monastery, but the rest of its buildings burned down under suspicious circumstances in the middle of the 19th century.

In the southern part of Avenida Carvalho Araujo, at number 19, you can see a memorial plaque that marks the birthplace of Diogo Cana, a navigator who discovered the mouth of the Congo River in 1482. The church of Igreja dos Clerigos on the nearby Rua da Portela is also known as Capela Nova, or Chapel de San Pedro. Its Baroque façade and ceilings are attributed to Niccolò Nasoni. The main local souvenirs are jugs made of black clay.

From Vila Real you can easily reach the Alvan Natural Park, which covers an area of ​​72 sq. km between the rivers Korgu and Tamega to admire its diverse landscapes - from cultivated green plains to gloomy mountain landscapes at an altitude of up to 1339 meters. Further north are the desert and sparsely populated Serra do Barroso mountains with moorlands.

In one of its villages - Boticas - they produce a drink that became famous thanks to its gloomy name - "Wine of the Dead". In 1809, local residents buried their stocks of wine in the ground so that they would not fall into the hands of the advancing French army. When the French left, they dug it up, and it turned out that the quality of the wine had improved. The wine was nicknamed "Vinho dos santos" (Vinho dos mortos - "Wine of the Dead"), and since then the locals began to deliberately bury bottles (for a period of sometimes up to two years) before drinking it.

Chaves

At the upper reaches of the Tamega River stands the town of Chaves, picturesquely located in the middle of a fertile valley. Thermal springs and gold reserves attracted the Romans, who in 78 AD founded Aqua Flavia here. Due to the strategic position of the town, neither the Suebi, nor the Visigoths, nor the Moors could capture it before the Portuguese finally conquered it in 1160. The name of the city (translated from Portuguese as "Keys") is sometimes associated with the keys to the north, which were awarded to Nuna Alvares Pereira, the hero of the battle of Aljubarrota. Indeed, the city occupies a key position on the Tamega River and is the gateway between the north of the country and its hinterland. However, the more mundane version is more likely to be true, that "Chaves" is simply a distorted Latin "Flavio".

The old town is located around Pra?a de Cam?es, which is a real architectural museum. From it you can see the remains of the castle granted to Nunu Alvares Pereira by King João I. It houses the Igreja-Matrizh Church with a beautiful Romanesque portal, the Baroque Misericordia Church with a luxurious interior (gilded carved altar, painted ceilings, azulejo panels on the walls). The castle houses the Military Museum and the Museum of the Flavie region. The Military Museum has a collection of uniforms, various regalia and armor. Archaeological finds are exhibited in the courtyard, but most of them are in the Museum of the Flavia Region, located behind the tower, in the palace of Paço dojo Duques de Bragança. In addition to finds dating back to Roman times, there is an interesting ethnographic collection, including a local shepherd's straw suit.

The current bridge across the Tamega was built at the expense of local residents, as evidenced by a special inscription. But it had an older predecessor, built in 100 AD under Emperor Trajan, as two road stones remind of. The thermal springs of Chaves are among the hottest in Europe, with water spurting out of the ground at a temperature of 73 degrees.

Mursa

The main attraction of this town is a granite figure of a Stone Age pig - "spanking", standing in a square on the main square. It is probably associated with the cult of fertility. Smaller "porks" can be found in Braganza, Chaves and other places. This figure can be seen on the labels of the famous red wine "Porca de Murca".

Mirandela

This small town is located on the banks of the Tua River. The Roman bridge with 20 asymmetrical arches was rebuilt in the 16th century and is now only used for pedestrians. The 17th-century town hall building once belonged to the Tavoras family, but they were accused of attempting to assassinate the king in 1759 and since then all traces of her have disappeared.

15 kilometers northeast of Mirandela is the town of Romeu with a private museum of curiosities. It exhibits all sorts of unusual things collected by the local Meneres family - "T" Fords, music boxes and photographic equipment.

Braganca (BRAGANCA)

The city is located among a gloomy high plateau in the extreme north-east of Portugal. It grew up on a strategically positioned hill, on which for a long time the peoples and rulers who owned it alternately built their fortifications, until Fernand Mendes, brother-in-law of King Afonso Henriques, erected a well-fortified fortress here in 1130. Like her predecessors, she was named Brigantia.

A powerful main tower rises above the city and the fortress, built in 1187 by Sancho I. A unique building on the territory of the fortress is the Domus Municipalis of the 12th century next to the church of Santa Maria. This is a kind of Romanesque town hall (where "worthy people" resolved their disputes), and the lower part of the pentagonal granite building was used as a large vaulted cistern.

Next to the building is a pillory - a smooth column mounted on a stone "spanking". Primitive sculpture of this kind, dating back to the Celto-Iberian era, is often found in the north of Portugal (in the city museum you can see a sculptural group of three pigs).
The tower of the castle of Torre da Princesa keeps many sad stories about the wives of the nobility who languished there, including the unfortunate wife of Fernand Mendes.

The fortress was the ancestral castle of the royal dynasty of Braganza, who ruled the country from 1640 to 1910 and descended from the illegitimate son of João I, who in 1442 became the first Duke of Braganza.
Although the city was the "family nest" of the royal dynasty, he never overcame his isolation, and the monarchs of the Braganza dynasty preferred residence in Vila Visosa. With the construction of a highway from Porto to the Spanish border, life in the city revived, evidence of which was the construction in 1996 of a new cathedral.

The Church of San Vicente (Largo Principal), built in the 13th century, was rebuilt in the 17th century, when its interior was richly decorated with gilding. It is believed that it was in it that in 1354 the secret wedding of Ines de Castro and King Pedro took place.

The Abade de Basal Museum (Rua Abilio Be?a 27 Tue-Fri 10:00-17:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-18:00, closed on Mondays and holidays) is housed in a former episcopal palace in a vast park. The museum bears the name of Abbot Basal (1865-1947), a local scholar whose works on the history of the region were published in eleven volumes. The palace was built in the 17th century and then rebuilt in the 18th and 20th centuries. The exposition includes archaeological finds (in particular, "flogging"), objects of religious art, coins, paintings of the 18th-20th centuries, sculpture of the 15th-20th centuries, ceramics of the 18th-19th centuries, furniture of the 17th-20th centuries, medieval instruments of torture and a rich ethnographic collection. (including local traditional pauliteiros costumes).

Montesinho Natural Park (PARQUE NATURAL DE MONTESINHO)

This 700 sq. km is considered one of the wildest areas in Europe and is nicknamed "Tierra Fria" ("Cold Land"). The landscapes of the park are quite diverse - from moorlands to oak forests. Here you can meet such rare animals in the Pyrenees as wolves, golden eagles, wild boars, otters. Scattered throughout the park are traditional small villages of stone houses with wooden balconies. The village of Vinhais is especially famous. There are also many dovecotes ("pombals") characteristic of these places - stone structures in the shape of a horseshoe. Pigeons were bred here not for entertainment, and not only as poultry "for meat", but also as a source of fertilizer, which was highly valued.
One of the oldest villages in the Rio de Onor region is also located on the territory of the park. People living on both banks of the border river of the same name speak a unique dialect - a mixture of Spanish and Portuguese, which was nicknamed "ryonores".

Miranda do Douro

This city stands high above the Douro Gorge, which here serves as the border with Spain. However, for centuries there was no connection with Spain, and even vice versa, the city fortress was the main point for protecting the deep Douro gorge. The strategic position of the city and the establishment of a bishopric here in 1545 contributed to its transformation into a cultural and religious center of Trazos Montes. But in 1762, during the seven-year war against France and Spain, a powder magazine exploded in the fortress. Then 400 people died, and only ruins remained of the fortifications. This event prompted the transfer of the bishopric to Bragança, and the city plunged into a lethargic sleep for a long time.

The cathedral of the 16th century with two towers has been preserved. In the cathedral, a wooden statue of Jesus as a child ("Meninu Jesus da Cartolinha") is curious. She represents the boy who, according to legend, appeared during the siege of the city by the Spaniards in 1711 and, raising the spirit of the demoralized Portuguese army, led them to victory. The statue was dressed up in a costume, and later a top hat ("cartoline") was also put on.

Miranda Regional Museum (Pra?a Dom Jo?o III in summer 10:00-12:30/14:30-17:45, in winter 10:00-12:15/14:00-17:15, Sundays 10 :00-12:45, closed on Mondays and holidays) is located in the Domus Municipalis building in the historic center of the city. It presents archaeological finds and ethnographic collections, primarily local costumes, kitchen utensils, and furniture.
In the Miranda do Douro region, the old dialect of Mirandesh, archaic Portuguese, close to Spanish, has been preserved. It is spoken by only a few thousand people, but it has recently been given official status. People who speak Mirandesh are called Mirandese. Thanks to centuries of isolation, they, in addition to the language, have preserved other traces of their ancient culture, which probably dates back to the Celts. A part of the male national costume of the Mirandese is a skirt. And during the holidays, they play traditional instruments like bagpipes and perform Irish-like dances.

Liberty Avenue in Lisbon leads directly to the Marquis of Pombal Square, in the very center of which in 1934 a monument was erected in honor of the outstanding political figure - Sebastian José Pombal. The Marquis of Pombal, who served as chief royal minister from 1750 to 1777, effectively ruled the country. Pombala is depicted in full growth and looks towards the Baixa area, built up on the initiative of the Minister and the plan developed by him. Under the left arm of the Marquis of Pombal, a lion is depicted, symbolizing power.

The pedestal is decorated with sculptures that tell about the main reforms of the Marquis of Pombal in the field of agriculture, education and public administration. A separate place is occupied by a plot dedicated to the contribution of the Minister to the development of the University in Coimbra, where, on his orders, teaching of mathematics and natural sciences began. On the stones of the pavement next to the monument there is a mosaic coat of arms of the city.

Next to the pedestal, split stone blocks are installed - as a sign of memory of the terrible earthquake of 1755, which almost completely destroyed Lisbon and many cities in Portugal. In those difficult years, the king almost completely entrusted Pombal with the management of the country and the leadership of restoration work. The Portuguese will always remember the invaluable contribution of the Marquis of Pombal to the development of the country.

Monument to the Discoverers

The monument is made of limestone and reinforced concrete, its height is 54 meters, the width of the base is 20 meters. The opening of the monument took place in 1960.

The monument is made in the form of a caravel, decorated with the coat of arms of Portugal from the time of the royal dynasty of Aviz. The main figure in the sculpture is the figure of Enrique the navigator, behind him, 16 figures on each side, there are 32 figures of people who became famous during the great discoveries.

Inside the monument there is a lecture hall, exhibition pavilions and an elevator going up to the observation deck. On the square in front of the granite sculptural composition, there is a wind rose and a map of the world with the dates of the Portuguese sea expeditions.

Monument to Fernando Pessoa

The monument to Fernando Pessoa is located in the city of Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. It was installed at house 4 on Rua Serpa Pinto, on the 4th floor of which the famous Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa, the author of the famous phrase, was born on June 13, 1888: “If, after I die, they want to write my biography, there is nothing easier. There are only two dates in it - the date of my birth and my death. Between them all the days belong to me.

The bronze sculpture in the avant-garde style represents the figure of a man who stands facing the facade of the building. On his head is a large book that completely hides his face. The monument once again reminds everyone who sees it that the life of Fernando Pessoa was entirely devoted to literature.