Roteiro das Freguesias - Antas

In Minante, the Neiva River is dammed by a weir of good dimensions, forming a lake of calm and pure waters. The landscape is bucolic that seems to transport us to a different time, far from the mechanization and bustle of everyday life. The watermill and the granite bridge that joins the two banks complete the scene, giving a touch of naturalism to a painting that, due to the profusion of colors and shades, could well have been painted by an impressionist. Be sure to visit the mouth of the river Neiva and the Atlantic beach of Antas.

The menhir is built on a small hill, very close to the parish church of this parish. Currently, the scenario in which this megalithic monument appears to us is certainly quite different from that which its builders knew. We have no reliable date for this monument, but it will certainly be from the same time as the transition from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age of the Northwest Peninsular. The toponymy of the parish is also a sign that this menhir would not be only in the territory. Tapirs, or dolmens, were megalithic funerary constructions from the time of the menhirs. In this case, the megalith is more than five feet off the ground, with a diameter that does not reach half a meter. Its shape is clearly phallic, accentuated by the slight inclination with which it was established on the ground. The symbolism associated with this type of monument is, in part, speculative, but it seems acceptable to relate the menhirs to fertility cults.

From the former Solar de Belinho, home of the late writer António Correia de Oliveira, some architectural elements that date back to the 16th century remain inside. The rest of the set, mainly its exterior appearance, is a relatively recent work. The chapel of Nossa Senhora do Rosário is also part of the set of buildings, located on the lower edge of Monte da Cividade, which, regardless of its real architectural value, has served as a pantheon for members of the family that owns Casa de Belinho. Overlooking Quinta de Belinho is Castro or Cividade, an archaeological site from the Iron Age consisting of a small habitat.

Source: https://www.visitesposende.com/