Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Valença

Sunshine over the fortifications of Valença (Portugal) in the foreground and Tui (Spain) in the background. Inbetween flows the Rio Minho, crossed be the "International Bridge", a steel construction from 1878.

A large chair stands behind the altar of the Igreja de Santo Estevão. I was told, that this is the chair of a bishop, who never came. In Tui (Spain), just 4kms away on the other side of the Minho, resides the bishop. The Portuguese would have liked to have him here - and even gave him a chair, but he never moved over.

Most inhabitants of Valença now live on the south side of the old town on the hill in highrising, unattractive buildings grown up within the last 10-20 years.

Valença even today seems to be more a fortress, than a town. The knoll, on which the town was built rises up from the Rio Minho, the border between Portugal and Spain. The town is surrounded by a massive fortification using many ramparts. It took about a century, to build up all this and what it is seen today is the state of 1713, when the works finally finished.