It is one of the highest mountains in northern Portugal with 1415 meters dividing the basins of the rivers Tâmega and Corgo. Far from the summit, to the southeast  in a place overlooking the Douro Valley.

In the time of the Romans there was a settlement called Veniatia, through which passed the road that linked Braga to Astorga. Suebi, Visigoths, Vandals, and Moors all were present in the region. One of the first kings of Portugal, Sancho II had a castle and walls built, around which grew a small town soon to be called Vinhaes. This town was nicknamed Rich Town, because of the abundance of its wine, linen, silk, and wool.

Several times occupied by the Castilians it became part of Portugal again in 1403. In 1659 a Spanish general invaded the region and besieged Vinhais with 1,700 men. The castle resisted and the enemy retreated across the border, burning all the houses outside the walls as well as all the villages they passed through.

After the fall of the monarchy in 1910, the Royalist rebel Paiva Couceiro entered Vinhais and attacked the Republican forces, defeating them and sending them in retreat to Chaves

Paiva Couceiro’s entry into Vinhais was received with joy because this town was still pro-monarchy. Soon, the Provisional Government of the Republic sent 400 soldiers to attack the rebels. After some violent skirmishes the rebels were defeated and forced to surrender. See Royalist attack on Chaves

Today, Vinhais is a small, rather isolated municipality, with an aging rural population. Without industry and with a diminishing population, it relies on tourism, an annual fair specializing in smoked meats, and some agriculture, especially chestnut growing.

The northern part of Vinhais is also part of the Montesinho Natural Park, with a significant interest on the rural and agricultural kind of life and wild life preservation. Among the protected species are the Iberian Wolf, Roe Deer, Wild Boar, Iberian Lynx, Common Genet, Red Fox and European Otter. To accomplish a better understanding of the wild life, there is now a Biological Park (Parque Biológico de Vinhais) in the Ciradelha Mountain.

At the time of the Christian Reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula, the primitive streak Limits Portucalense county with the lion kingdom was developing along the left bank of the river Sabor to its confluence with the creek Angueira. This streak was guarded by four main sentinels: Castle Million, Castle Santulhão (both have since disappeared), the Castle of Miranda Outeiro (in ruins) and the Castle Algoso. Complemented the main defense of the northeast sector of the castles Roias Feathers, Mogadouro and although more distant, the Bragança.

The most recent studies indicate that the building of the original structure of the castle dates back to sometime in the end of the reign of King Afonso Henriques (1112-1185), when his son Sancho had exercised the royal power. As recorded in the inquiries of 1258, its builder was a local lord, Mendo Bofino (or Mendo Rufino), which in turn received the lordship of Vimioso village.

From 1224 its structure was radically changed, at which time the castle was donated by Sancho II (1223-1248) to the Knights Hospitaller (called, from the sixteenth century, as the Order of Malta), after a period relatively long war with the kingdom of Leon. At the time, this castle was made up on the pinnacle of local government, residence of the royal representative in charge of the collection of real rights in land and Miranda Penas Roias.

The ancient town and Ylgoso municipality, Ulgoso or San Sebastian Algoso, was part of the bishopric and the district of Bragança. In the year 1230 the Temple and of St John’s Hospital made bankruptcy, in Coimbra, on several land dispute between which entered Ylgoso (Algoso), Vila Cha, Atenor, Roias Feathers, Paradela and others outside the bishopric Bragança.

On June 22, 1239 Pedro Costem, Temple Order of the Commander in Portugal, made a composition between the commendations of Mogadouro and Penas Roias, belonging to their order, and the Algoso.

Subsequently, February 13, 1291, Denis (1279-1325) made new composition, in Coimbra, with the Grand Commander of St. John’s Hospital, D. Fernão Peres (the Mossejo) concerning the commendation Algoso and other nearby lands. The importance of this stemmed income earned annually by its Commander: seven to eight thousand crusaders, including in this amount the two parts of the fruit of the abbeys of Travanca, Sendim, Dry Vilar, Two Churches and Guide. This sovereign will still determined to carry out repair work and improvements in the castle.

Held by the Hospitallers, the castle was transformed into a fortress in the Gothic style, especially the construction of the solid keep, with the commander of the residence function, and a turret on the wall to the south.

Mafómedes used to be complete inaccessible in the winter

Celt colonies began to appear afterward, constructing castros in many of the places that developed into formal settlements. With the arrival of the Roman, bridges and formal roads began to appear, while many of the castros began to be converted into Roman encampments, later the nuclei of formalized settlements. Remains of the Roman civitas are still common: Praesidium (in Vila da Ponte, popularly known as Sabaraz) and Caladunum (in Cervos).

Although there were no overt indications that the Moors settled in this region, although oral tradition inferred as much.

With the establishment of the Christian kingdom of Portugal, Afonso Henriques donated portions of the land for charitable hospices (Salto), hospitals (Vilar de Perdizes and Dornelas) or monasteries (Pitões). Owing to its location, on the border with Galiza, defense fortifications were constructed, including the Castles of Gerês and Piconha, and later in Portelo and the village of Montalegre. A lighthouse was also constructed in Tourém, likely by King Sancho in 1187, since he was the master of the Terras da Piconha region.

It was only in September 1273 that King Afonso III bestowed on the citizens a foral (charter), founding the town of Montalegre and making the local sheriff the master of the Terras de Barroso. The foral was later confirmed by King Denis in 1289, and renewed by Afonso IV (in 1340), John II (in 1491), and Manuel (in 1515).

After the Portuguese Interregum, during the reign of John I, the Terras de Barroso were offered as a gift to Nuno Álvares Pereira for his support.

In 1809, French troops had problems in the region, during the Peninsular Wars, fighting off the Barrosões, in Misarela.

On 6 November 1836, the municipality of Montalegre was divided, in order to create the municipality of Boticas. In course, the parishes of Vilar de Vacas was lost to the neighbouring municipality of Vieira do Minho, and later the parish of Couto Misto de Santiago de Rubiás, was also de-annexed.

Contemporary history of the municipality has been marked by growing emigration, the result of the lack of economic recourse and the abandonment of traditional activities. The institutionalization of local government permitted a revitalization in the municipality, after the Carnation Revolution, which saw a growth in tertiary activities.

Picote is known for many reasons: one is the dam of Tear, built between 1954 and 1958, an impressive stranglehold of the Douro River, in its internacional.

This Hydraulic section of Picote opened in January 1958, has a height of 100 meters, this crown has a length of 92.30 meters, and its 3 generators have the capability of producing 180 MWh.

Another reason why Picote is known is that that of all the villages belonging to so-called Terra de Miranda, Miranda Land, is one that has more defended and encouraged the use of Language Mirandesa. This is evident by the fact that many of the streets of village have cards with their names written in Portuguese and Mirandese; or because the posters with the programs of the parties also are written in Portuguese and Mirandese.

Picuote is Picote in Mirandese.

Due to this important linguistic reason, Picote is one of the small villages that most often appears in television news and print media (including the daily press). So these reasons (and others, we invite you now to find out). Picote an excellent holiday destination where you can escape completely from the confusion of the day-to-day, and also know a way of life and a landscape that surely surprise you will pleasantly.