Santo Isidoro

Santo Isidoro is a former civil parish in the municipality of Marco de Canaveses, northern Portugal. In 2013, the parish merged into the new parish Livração. In 2001 there were 1495 inhabitants in a 3.73km2 region fronting the Douro.HistoryNear the locality of Bouças, exists Penedo da Moura, a large collection of stones that were likely a dismantled dolmen, and in its surroundings are the vestages of castros and small human settlements, such as in Toutosa and Canaveses (the lateral a Roman village).During the medieval period, Santo Isidoro acted as a stopping point for wayfarers and pilgrims transiting the region, but obtained local administrative privileges owing to its master, Egas Moniz. Celebrated nobleman in service to Afonso Henriques, Moniz was master of Canaveses and the Tuías, he was responsible for installing the legal magistrates in these territories, and his signeurial holdings lead to the annex of Canaveses. A regal charter by Manuel I, dated July 1497, clearly affirmed, "...the town of Canaveses, and the localities and the annexes" were registered to Egas Moniz. But, any illusions of privileges ended in 1550, by order of John III, following the death of his nephew Manuel.Administratively, the parish was integrated into the municipality of Santa Cruz de Riba Tâmega, and only joined Marco de Canaveses in the 19th century.In 1809, Santo Isidoro de Riba-Tâmega suffered from the French invasions: it was near the centre that a bloody battle ensued between the French and Portuguese. A cross was erected near this site to mark the event.