Casal de São Simão Story
A fistful of stone houses strategically constructed along a small hill peak, surrounded by mountains that protect it from the wind and bathed in brilliant sunshine, a brook in each side - Ribeira de Alge and Ribeira do Fato – and, most of all, the breathtaking view to “Fragas de S. Simão” are the ingredients that give life and form to a very special small village, Casal de S. Simão.
This village was constructed long time ago by men who worked the land all day long to get their daily bread. They had rich vegetable plots on the “Vale da Abundância” (literally abundance valley) bathed by the Fato brook on the west side of the village
Men and women worked their plots side-by-side with their work donkey and ox from sun to sun to get their nourishment.
Sheep and goats pasture peacefully on the green hills and, a little far in the village, chicken flocks could be heard trilling while looking for food along the streets. On the Alge brook, the millstones grind the maize and corn that will be transformed into bread on the ancient firewood stoves.
Men and women worked their plots side-by-side with their work donkey and ox from sun to sun to get their nourishment.
Sheep and goats pasture peacefully on the green hills and, a little far in the village, chicken flocks could be heard trilling while looking for food along the streets. On the Alge brook, the millstones grind the maize and corn that will be transformed into bread on the ancient firewood stoves.
One day, tired of so much work, men and women started to leave looking for a better life elsewhere and the village, little by little, became lonely and empty. Time just did its work on the abandoned houses which started to fall. The village, once full of life and joy, began to die. It was a ghost village that Anibal Quinta found one day, some years ago. On his usual work travels, he regularly passes the road to Figueiró dos Vinhos and could always see, at a glance, the old village full of sun. He became curious about it and one day he decided to go there and see. He has found an almost desert village. From a total of 21 houses, only 4 were inhabited and the rest was falling apart. But for him, it didn’t matter. He was under the charm spell of the little village. The passion was so strong that he decided to buy one of the houses. He started to rebuild and, full of pride, invited his friends to visit him and the village.
And the spell of Casal de S. Simão spreads amongst the friends that began to buy and rebuilt too. And the friends of friends came and did the same. With the joint efforts of everybody the village was rebuild and Casal de S. Simão had return to the ancient pride and is now full of projects for the future.
An amazing inland river beach on a walk range is one the most appealing points of the surroundings together with the view to “Fragas de S. Simão”. Pedestrian walks have been open and marked, linking Casal de S. Simão to Ferrarias de S. João, another rebuilt schist village nearby, and other pedestrian walks are available around the village.
