 To relive the prehistory in Ansião
A rich historical patrimony land.
That`s the proposition of the Ansião’s tourism, located in the district of Leiria to attract more and more visitors. Known by being a rural council of historical tradition within Central Portugal whose origins remount at the prehistoric times, Ansião counts with a vast cultural history. It presumes that there are about 190 million years ago the lands of that council were submerged. The Ansião municipal district has the the "freguesias" of Alvorge, Ansião, Avelar, Chão de Couce, Lagarteira, Pousaflores, Santiago da Guarda e Torre de Vale de Todos.
The first references of Ansião history dates from 1175. However, only in 1514, D. Manuel elevated the place to village.
For the most believing visitors, the council of Ansião counts with an extensive religious patrimony, such as the Mother church of Ansião, the Chapel of Constantina, the Mother church of Alvorge, the Chapel of the Mercy, the Chapel of Ateanha, the Church of “Nossa Senhora da Graça”, the Mother church of Santiago of the Guard, S. Domingos’s Church, the Mother church of “Nossa Senhora da Guia”, the Mother church of “Chão de Couce”, the Chapel of “Nossa Senhora do Pranto” and the Church of “Nossa Senhora das Neves”. Other marks are also important to know a little bit of the past of Ansião and of their people, as the majestic “Residência Senhorial dos Condes de Castelo Melhor”, the Ruins of the Tower of “Ladeia”, the bridge of “Marquinho”, the bridge of “Cal”, Medieval Oven of Avelar and farm of “Cima”. The windmills complete the scenery of the council, that keeps in itself an extensive green area, in an authentic valorization of the nature. But the historical patrimony continuous being the great attractive of the council.
The Municipal Museum cannot be forgotten in this trip through history, that remounts for many centuries. It is proved by the existence of an “Anta de Atalaia”, other in “Alto do Pisca” and the location of a “castro” by the age of the iron in S. Miguel. The trip should continue for “Alvorge” and “Torre de Vale Todos” e “Lagarteira”, populations that were located in the area of the “Ladeia”, known as border line among Christians and Moorish in the centuries XII and XIII.
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