| | Panoramas
of Portugal: from the Tagus to the NorthThe Tagus valley is defined by
a chain of hills and mountains named Montejunto-Estrela; these mountains feature
the typical relief North from Tagus: steeper slopes, thicker forests - especially
pinewood - and denser population. | | |
|
These
pictures were taken with digital cameras featuring a special mode for panoramas,
except for the photos taken with Minolta Z5, in which case the angle step is variable
and the exposure is manual. Since the file size of each picture is above
200Kb, I added an intermediate size with approximately 50Kb to 100Kb. For
panoramas of other locations, see bottom of page. | The
technical data on the right shows the equivalent focal distance in conventional
35mm format (135 film), the angle is the azimuth spanned by the camera and the
ratio is the aspect ratio, between horizontal and vertical. |
(74Kb) (full
image: 246Kb) | Roman bridge at ChavesThe
roman bridge of Chaves that crosses river Tâmega was constructed at the
end of 1st century AD, while Trajan was the Roman Emperor. À época,
a cidade chamava-se Acquæ Flavia por causa das nascentes termais que brotavam
nas proximidades. O projecto é atribuído ao arquitecto local
Aulus Flaviensis. A solidez da ponte é atestada por quase dois mil anos
de uso constante, sendo ainda hoje atravessada por numerosos automóveis.
A ponte tinha guardas de pedra que foram substituídas no séc. XIX
por grades de ferro para alargar a via disponível para carros e peões.
No meio da ponte, estão os marcos romanos que registam a sua construção:
|
Camera | Minolta Z5 | Date | September
2005 | Focal | 62 mm | # photos | 6 |
ratio | 4.9:1 | |
(81Kb) (full
image: 289Kb) | Moliceiros in AveiroThese
boats - named moliceiros - sailing along the channels of the "ria" are
a hallmark of the city of Aveiro. The "ria" is similar to the
Dutch and German haff: It spreads over the lowlands of the Vouga river, which
is split into hundreds of tiny channels; it is bounded to the west by the dunes
raised by the sea winds. During the history of Portugal, the "ria" has
been isolated from the sea, then linked to the sea near Mira (to the south of
Aveiro), isolated again and, from 1809 onwards, linked to the sea through a channel
near São Jacinto. The town of Aveiro was decaying for centuries and has
become prosperous since, due to the sea related activities. On 1932 the piers
were reinforced. Meanwhile, many populous villages and towns were born around
the "ria", taking advantage of the fertile land and the transport network
over the water. The town is embraced by three channels : São Roque,
Central channel also known as the City channel and the Santos Mártires
channel. All three meet around this square, the Rossio. Downstream, they are combined
in the Pyramids channel. "Moliceiros" were used to harvest seaweed
- named "moliço" - to be used as fertiliser. Other similar boats
- the "saleiras" - were used to transport salt, one of the most important
businesses in the "ria". |
Camera | Minolta Z5 | Date | March
2005 | Focal | 62 mm | # photos | 7 |
ratio | 6.3:1 | |
(45Kb) (full
image: 163Kb) | Braga StadiumDrawn
by architect Eduardo Souto de Moura, the stadium was fitted on an old quarry.
To make the most of the scenery, there are no seats on both tops: to the South,
one can see the old stone walls; looking northward, one sees the Dume valley and
forests spreading over the hills and water streams. The stadium has 30290
seats and it was built for the Euro 2004, the European Football Championship.
The stadium is one of the cornerstones of an urban plan for these districts of
Braga. |
Camera | Pentax S40 | Date | March
2005 | Focal | 74 mm | Angle | |
# photos | 3 | ratio | 3.5:1 |
|
(84Kb) (full image:
393Kb) | Winter scene, Zibreira, Torres
NovasOn the foreground, one sees a dormant vineyard. On top of the hill,
on the right, sits a small village whose inhabitants maintain a rural way of life,
ever more rare. The massif of Nature Park of "Serras de Aires e Candeeiros"
raises on the background. These bucolic scenery is visible less than 3km
(2mi) from A1, the main motorway of Portugal. |
Camera | Pentax S40 | Date | December
2004 | Focal | 62mm | Angle | |
# photos | 6 | ratio | 6.8:1 |
|
(50Kb) (completa:
221Kb) | River beach in Mondego, CoimbraOn
the banks of Mondego, upstream from Coimbra, near the village of Vale de Canas,
a very pleasant beach was ??? I visited it during the Winter and
it was deserted. Nevertheless, the sunny day and the blue waters were inviting
me to take a swim. |
Camera | Pentax S40 | Date | December
2004 | Focal | 35 mm | Angle | |
# photos | 2 | ratio | 3:1 |
|
(77Kb) (full
image: 257Kb) | São Pedro de Moel,
Marinha GrandeView of the beach of São Pedro de Moel, a little
village surrounded by the Pinewood of Leiria. The beach is well known for its
strong currents and dangerous waves. The sea is so wild that a swimming pool was
built next to the beach. The villagers built the first houses on the narrow
valleys, seeking protection from the wind. The leisure villas were built up the
hills. On the top one can see a Hotel and a light tower. |
Camera | Pentax S40 | Date | August
2004 | Focal | 105mm | Angle | |
# photos | 4 | ratio | 5.6:1 |
|
(56Kb) (full
image: 222Kb) | Castle of Porto de MósThe
earlier memories of a defensive construction on this hill date from the Roman
occupation. Later, the Moors built stronger walls and a well inside to resist
the frequent raids of the Christians. The site was conquered by Afonso Henriques,
the first King of Portugal, by the end of the XIIth
century. A proper castle was built afterwards, close to the walls we see today.
On the XVth century, the fortress was redesigned as
a manor for an important noble, the Conde de Ourém. The castle was
severely damaged by the earthquakes of 1755 and 1908. Later, it was reconstructed
according to the XVth century plan. |
Camera | Pentax S40 | Date | August
2004 | Focal | 105mm | Angle | |
# photos | 3 | ratio | 4:1 |
|
(97Kb)
(full image:
335Kb) | Port of AveiroView of
the light and the port of Aveiro, where the river Vouga meets the ocean. On
the left, you can see the light tower and a few houses of Barra beach town. On
the right, looking North, you'll see São Jacinto airfield. |
Camera | Canon A70 | Date | August
2003 | Focal | 60mm | Angle | 130º |
# photos | 9 | ratio | 7.3:1 |
|
(117Kb) (full
image: 382Kb) | Cabreia Waterfall, Sever
do VougaA hot summer day, a dense forest, a waterfall bursts on top of
the narrow valley, which unfolds gently downstream, offering small clearances
for picnics and leisure. Enjoy a delightful afternoon away from the noisy
beaches, the worries and the hurries of popular holidays. And if the heat is too
strong, take a bath: the water will feel ice cold! |
Camera | Canon A70 | Date | August
2003 | Focal | 60mm | Angle | 130º |
# photos | 9 | ratio | 7.3:1 |
|
(40Kb)
(full
image: 324Kb) | The ruins of Castelo RodrigoThis
castle is located north of Almeida, near the Spanish border, south of Douro. This
region was the stage for various border conflicts between Castille and then Spain
and Portugal. This castle was part of a string of castles to protect Portugal
from the Douro to the Tagus river. |
Camera | Olympus C-2000Z | Date | August
2002 | Focal | 37mm | Angle | >360º |
# photos | 10 | ratio | 11.4:1 |
|
| Monastery of AlcobaçaThe
Abbey of Alcobaça was founded on late XIIth century by the first
King of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques, who called French monks to the kingdom.
Although there are earlier houses of the Cluny order in Portugal, Alcobaça
is the most important because the number of monks and also the extension and wealth
of its properties. The present monastery was erected in the beginning of
the XIIIth century, using some preexistent edification. The construction
of the abbey was concluded in the XIVth century. Two hundred years
later, it was enlarged with a new cloister, dormitory and other buildings. During
the XVIIth century a new façade was built, following the baroque
style. On 1834 the religious orders were extinct and the Monastery buildings
were dedicated to civilian uses, while the church kept its function. | |
(43Kb) (full
image: 303Kb) | King Dinis' Cloister or Cloister of
SilenceInner view of the cloister. The ground floor dates from 1311 while
the first floor was built two centuries later. Near the centre of the image,
the round walls embrace the lavatory, in front of the refectory door. |
Camera | Olympus C-2000Z | Date | July
2002 | Focal | 37mm | Angle | >360º |
# photos | 10 | ratio | 9.5:1 |
|
(41Kb) (full
image: 313Kb) | Chapter HallAccording to the
Cluny rule, the Chapter Hall was the most important room for the community life.
This Hall was erected at the same time of the Cloister of Silence, possibly using
some elements of a primitive cloister that was then demolished. The statues
come from other points in the Abbey. |
Camera | Olympus C-2000Z | Date | July
2002 | Focal | 37mm | Angle | >360º |
# photos | 10 | ratio | 9.5:1 |
|
(48Kb) (full
image: 299Kb) | The Castle and the Town of ÓbidosPartial
view of Obidos and its Castle, seen from the West wall. There is notice of a castle
at Obidos during the XIIth century and one century later the whole
town was surrounded by walls. Today, the centre of the town is still bounded by
the walls, and one can make the tour by foot, as shown in the picture. The
castle was reconstructed and it is now a Pousada.
|
Camera | Olympus C-2000Z | Date | July
2002 | Focal | 36mm | Angle | 240º |
# photos | 6 | ratio | 6.1:1 |
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| Copyright
I, João Gomes Mota, keep all the authorship and reproduction rights of
my photos. The copy and reproduction of these
photographs is not authorised, although I can do very little to prevent
it. In case you want a copy, contact
me. Your courtesy will be rewarded wit a higher quality file, whenever possible. | |
| More panoramasIn
addition to this page, there are three other panorama pages: Lisbon (Lisboa) is the capital of Portugal, the city
where I was born, where I live and the one I photograph the most. The city unfolds
over multiple hills, offering high viewpoints, numerous belvederes and attractive
slopes. Portugal is shaped by the Tagus river
that cuts the country in two. To the south, plains and sparse forest dominate
the landscape. On the inland, population is currently scarce whilst traces of
ancient peoples abound. Some panoramas from Spain and Italy and references to other
sites featuring panorama photos and software to create panoramas. | |
©2002-05 João Gomes Mota |
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PHOTOGRAPHY |
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Published: June 2005. Last update: September 2005. | |
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