BENFEITA (ARGANIL)
40° 13' 46" N; 7° 56' 40" W
Benfeita is a Portuguese parish in the municipality of Arganil, with an area of 21.77 km² and 413 inhabitants (2021 census). Its population density is 19 inhabitants/km².
It is made up of nine villages: Benfeita (parish seat), Deflores, Dreia, Enxudro, Luadas, Monte Frio, Pai das Donas, Pardieiros and Sardal.
The village of Benfeita is one of the 27 included in the Schist Village Network.
Etymology
The toponymy of the name is believed to be of Latin origin and from the 12th century. According to documents dated 1196, in the Middle Ages it was called “Bienfecta” which means “Well Made”.
Patrimony
Main Church (patron: Santa Cecília).
Chapels of Senhora da Assunção, Santa Rita and Senhor dos Passos (Benfeita).
Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora das Necessidades (Chapels of São Bartolomeu, Senhora da Guia and Senhora das Necessidades).
Chapel of Santa Maria Madalena (Deflores); Our Lady of Grace (Dreia); Santo António (Enxudro); São Simão (Luadas); Miraculous Bom Jesus (Monte Frio); Our Lady of Remedies (Father of Donas); Saint Nicholas (Pardieiros) and Our Lady of Peace (Sardal).
Mata da Margaraça.
Fraga da Pena Waterfall.
Peace Tower
In the town's Largo da Paz, there is a schist tower, called "Torre da Paz" (previously known as Torre Salazar), built in 1945 on the initiative of Dr. Mário Mathias, a jurist and native of Benfeita. The tower has a clock and a weathervane with several icons. One of them is the dove, symbol of Peace.
On May 7, 1945, the day of the Nazi capitulation, in Rheims, France, the Peace Tower was not yet completely completed nor had its monumental clock yet been installed, so the Peace Bell was rang by hand to celebrate the end of the war in Europe, pay homage to the Portuguese who fought and died in the First World War and are grateful for the fact that Portugal managed to remain neutral and peaceful during the Second World War.
As the number of days that the First World War lasted (54 months) was 1620, in which combatants from Benfeienses participated, in Mozambique and France, the number of bells that are played every year, on the 7th of May, is also 1620. just before 3 p.m.
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FRAGA DA PENA WATERFALL
40.220254859764054º N; 7.936001805712863º W
The Fraga da Pena Cascade is a waterfall in the Serra do Açor and is located near the village of Pardieiros, Arganil, in the District of Coimbra, in Portugal.
This waterfall originates from a geological accident and is considered one of the greatest assets among the natural resources of the protected landscape of Serra do Açor.
The waters that fall from this waterfall flow through a very tight valley in the mountain, thus giving rise to a micro-landscape, which appears suddenly, with abundant vegetation covering the shale.
The difference in level at the Fraga da Pena Waterfall reaches 20 meters in height. Its food comes from Barroca das Degrainhas, where it forms a first sheet of water, which flows into a smaller one, giving rise to another waterfall.
An idyllic setting where the water makes its way through the vegetation and the schist surface, and falls into a majestic waterfall measuring more than 20 meters in the middle of the protected landscape of Serra do Açor. Located near Benfeita, the only village in the world that exalts peace with a tower, we find the Fraga da Pena waterfall, where you find the peaceful river beach with the same name.
It is in the middle of Mata da Margaraça, inserted in the Serra do Açor Protected Area, that Fraga da Pena is hidden, a privileged place to encounter nature. An idyllic setting where the water makes its way through the vegetation and the schist surface, and falls into a majestic waterfall measuring more than 20 meters.
An extraordinary natural wonder that remains untouched by man and where an impressive serenity prevails, only interrupted by the sound of the water and the chirping of birds. Originated by a geological accident, the waterfalls that are hidden among this highly interesting floristic group, constitute a paradisiacal corner that stands out for its authenticity and freshness.
