Page "Bragança Municipality" Paragraph 7

The origin of the city of Bragança dates from the 10th or 11th century, and likely developed from a Romanized castro, although archaeological evidence is still under-discovered.

The strategic importance of Bragança, to military control of access, resulted from its localization and was reinforced by administrative institutions established by the King.

Sancho signed a foral in June 1187, which was renovated by King Afonso III, in May 1253, and later by Manuel I on 11 November 1514.

The foral demonstrated specifically the importance of the city, which was the first in the Trás-os-Montes to receive the title of town.

In his proclamation, Afonso III specified that the municipality of Bragança pertained to the Church of Braganza, and not the crown, and that its represents should motivate the settlement of all unpopulated lands.

This conflicted with the Military Orders and administration of the Monastery of Castro de Avelãs, who believed that they had the right to settle all villages and use the land as they willed.

The privileges that were conceded to the nascent Portuguese population by various monarchs outlines the geographic importance of attracting settlement to the northern frontier: Afonso III created an annual fair in 1272 and Fernando establishes a free-trade fair in 1383, which was renovated or reformulated by successive monarchs ( John I in 1392 and 1413, the Regent Peter in 1439 and Afonso V in 1455 ).

This initiatives, although tempered by cyclical migration and epidemics, permitted the concentration of settlers in the northern community.