Tedo Ranch is the most peculiar village of Tabuaço for the number of tales and historical trails it keeps. It was created by two people: the People from Below, the elder, and the People from Above.

Tedo river, so called after the joining upstream of the Tedinho river waters with a medieval bridge, to the waters of the Ribeira do Leomil, voluminous only in Winter, moistens the fields and used to move mills and filling-mills in the past.

A romantic XVIIth century old bridge unites the two people. The People from Below offers to those who look from above during sun hours, a magnificent lesson on urban organization.

cleverly developed around the church of our Mother between the river and the mountain. The Lucenas and Mergulhões Manor, on Abel Barradas Street, and other prestigious properties built during the XVII and XVIII centuries are aligned to the streets.

Church of our Mother built between 1621 and 1623 by Abbot José Francisco whose façade trimmed with a two bell tower facing East, displays a broad aisle on the way to the chancel by a nine steps stairway.

At People from Height sets the Pillory at the Plaza Square, witness the upgrade of “vila” of this village that once belonged to the King.

There are ruins of a Chapel dating back to1665, today also a private property of the nobility heirs. The elders tell us that this Chapel was put aside and, as there was no roof anymore, decay was left there.

To the point that a cranberry bush grew higher than the Chapel. Once the public administration was resolved to build back a roof to the patrimony, the proprietors covered up the little chapel, cut down the well fed bush, locking there sediments and laid down to posterity.

From this nobility we can still see, by the People from Above, a manor from the XVII century where it is perceived that two different bodies are separated by the Chapel. This noble patrimony belongs to the Osório family, as though a beautiful water-mill is now abandoned.

Its worth your while strolling through the streets of this village where leaves from flowers drop from walls, and you can stop at a basket makers door and watch him working his art.

Those people revive their history in chants and recreate traditional acts as on Easter night, and for some reason it has more significance than Christmas. on this night, the village roads are lit up with thousands of tiny lamps filled with oil.

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O Cisma da Granja do Tedo

This village is the most picturesque of all in the district. I try to observe the landscape, but I feel surrounded by the somber air that I find on every street corner, leadings me to times of gloom and darkness. I believe its due to an event in 1840, when a sentiment of free cult and creed was awakening in Portugal, in this little hidden village a gentleman called José Custódio – Teacher of A scisma da Granja do Tedo A scisma da Granja d, recognized by General Registration Office of Don Luis I, stimulated by his family professed a creed that I can’t identify, but it was welcomed by everyone in that neighborhood.

 Pinho Leal, in his absurd accusations let us know the amazing and incomprehensible tolerance of the local priest that for the last 8 years silent himself. We must admit Mr. Custódio had extreme boldness to assume and conduct a creed in a time right after the Inquisition. Few years earlier they could all be punished or executed by the already dead monarchy. 

 But it looks like Mrs. Custódio was betrayed by the system that proclaimed the end of religious persecutions and found herself slandered, humiliated, whipped on the streets, wandering through different lands, living on public charity, suffering from hunger, cold and suffering from hardships. Pinho Leal, a Militant Miguelist, whose father was murdered in 1834, shows his personal hate in this sarcastic version of the facts that ruined the family life. Reading his volume, a quick-witted person could understand this publication as to justify cruel and abusive acts of power without the judgmental rights already assured by the laws in the country. Even in harsher days the Inquisition conceded some sort of defensive rights.

((A Scisma da Granja do Tedo), . This History is so peculiar and sarcastic to the point of view of Pinho Leal that, when looking for evidence so that you have its proper opinion on this village and its without a doubt courageous inhabitants of sec. XIX of this event, we found everything to contradict this torture of power abuse by the then Manager of the St. Cosmado Counsel. Pinho Leal and Pedro Ferreira did the favor of using their imagination to free the prosecutor’s image of José Correia Sampaio if one day the Justice would ask for retraction. Why so recognizable writers that signed the “"Diccionário Chorografhico PORTUGAL ANTIGO E MODERNO"”, used pseudonyms when writing about this history. Patrício Lusitano and Pantaleão Froilaz were the allegoric pseudonyms chosen for this drama. I leave the funny fantasies of Pantaleão Lusitano, (A Scisma da Granja do Tedo), for you to have your own opinion about this village and its undoubtedly brave inhabitants of the XIX century.

Sabemos que em consequê

It is known that consequently to this disgrace, José Custódio´s grand-daughters had to wear trousers to warrant some work. Then there came a new fact that shook the country: “THE HISTORY OF THE WOMAN MAN” – With her maiden name “Antonia” all papers advertised the fact, its transgression was brought to the Court. The sentence: Someone who traded outfits to work, but was set free by the recognition of good conduct and by the character of whom did not undress the soul.

Gisele Camacho Aznar Neves