The History of the Baths of Longroiva
The thermal waters of Longroiva must be known since prehistoric times. Archaeologists have long been recognizing traces of their use by prehistoric man in places on medicinal sites. The settlement of this region made since the Paleolithic leads us to think that these waters will not have gone unnoticed by these remote inhabitants.
More surely, we must accept that these waters were already known to the Romans, who occupied the territory neighboring the castro of Longobriga, for hundreds of years, and there they systematically did surveys to identify the mines and medicinal waters. The Legend of the Statue of the Bath of Longroiva, can testify the finding, in this place, of a Roman statuette consecrated to the goddess of the Health, as was customary to occur with those colonizadores.
Soon in the first reigns, the thermal baths of Longroiva were belonged of the Order of the Templars, passing in the time of D. Dinis, after the extinction, to the Order of Christ. The baths were connected to the cult of Senhora do Torrão, patroness of Longroiva. The chapel of Senhora do Torrão is located in the place where the Templars opened the first Christian temple, around which they established their necropolis.
The medieval resort was to be a continuation of the Roman. It was very simple, consisting of two tanks, one for the men and the other for the women, protected by a kind of cabanal, with thatched roof. This system remained until almost the end of the century. XIX, when the Chamber built the thermal building.
The story goes that Queen Elizabeth, coming from Aragon to marry King Dinis in Trancoso, will have passed on the old Roman road, near Longroiva, bathing here. There is no proof that this statement is true. Let us not forget also that in the Middle Ages the private baths were taken in vats. Given the high status of the Princess, it is not acceptable to bathe in the public tank. However, we can not refuse to bathe in a sulphurous vat of Longroiva.
1810: Due to the degradation of the structure, the Parish board, at the cost of alms given to the Lady of the Torrão, rebuilt the Roman-type thermal establishment, with two tanks, one for men and one for women. The bathers sat inside on stone benches. With the income from the baths, which were paid by those from outside the place and always free for the people of Rio de Janeiro, the feast of Senhora do Torrão was celebrated on 8 September.
1815: Dr. Manuel José Lobão, corregedor of Trancoso and natural of the then annex of Longroiva, the present parish of Santa Comba, (today in the county of Vila Nova de Foz Côa), had the baths repaired.
In the first quarter of the The spa was the object of a memory presented to the Academy of Sciences (Memórias, volume IV - 1821), by José Pinto Rebelo de Carvalho
1844-45: Magalhães e Vasconcelos, in the magazine Universal Lisbonense (volume IV), published an article on Longroiva and its mineral waters, accompanied by a view of the upper part of the town and its castle. Since then, encyclopedias and water studies refer to the Baths of Longroiva.
1878 - 1881: the Municipality of Meda (a municipality which was recently constituted at the expense of the dismemberment of those of Longroiva, Marialva, Casteição, Ranhados and Aveloso), built a thermal building in Longroiva according to a modern project, with 18,000 $ 000 kings . The people of Longroiva worked for free on the work, collaborating in the transportation of the stone and in the works of desaterro.
Later, works were done to improve the building and commissioned a project for a property capable of resolving that of the spa. To the distinguished researcher, Prof. Dr. Ramiro Valentim, of the Faculty of Medicine of Porto and one of the greatest national authorities in the matter, was requested the medical - experimental study of the waters of Longroiva in order to evaluate their real possibilities.
1970: The water of the Baths of Longroiva having a use that already comes from a long way in time, was certainly the object of several analyzes and surveys, however, of the studies or available reports, the oldest analysis dates from 1970, made by Silva and Almeida (1970).
2001: Following a process presented to the geological and mining institute, with an application addressed to the Exmo. Minister of Economy, dated 5 July 2001, was named, for the first time, the Concessionaire of the Natural mineral water of Longroiva, the Municipality of Meda.
Since 2001, within the framework of the medical-hydrological study, for the validation of therapeutic vocations, the Technical Evaluation Committee proposed the recognition of the therapeutic indications of the mineral waters of the Termas de Longroiva for diseases of the respiratory and rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases , in the accordance with paragraph g) of no. Article 29 (5). Decree-Law no. 142/2004, of 11 June, and the Directorate-General for Health has been recognized.
After several works of expansion and remodeling of the spa, in 2001 the Termas de Longroiva began a new chapter in its history. The City Council is the Municipal Company Águas de Longroiva, Exploration and Management of Thermal Waters, MS - a public capital company, where it owns the entire capital, 100% - to whom delivered the management of the thermal bath. Maintaining the concession and controlling the management.
2011: More than two hundred years since construction in the first resort, the Spa of Longroiva rejuvenates ...
Combining modernity with the thermal tradition, the Termas de Longroiva now has the current resort, one of the largest and best Portuguese resorts. This work will mark the Termas de Longroiva and the National Thermalism.
2013: The Terro de Longroiva is concessioned to Natura Empreendimento SA, which, in the hope of pursuing its objective, energizing and making the Terro de Longroiva evolve, started the construction of the Rural Hotel of the Termas de Longroiva.
