Couto Misto, uma República entre dois Reinos: Um instrumento de desenvolvimento local ancorado no turismo
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2009
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Hoje em dia, há muita facilidade em obter informação o que faz com que desperte o interesse das pessoas. Isso traduz-se numa oportunidade de desenvolvimento para zonas que anteriormente os seus atractivos eram desconhecidos.
O Couto Misto foi uma pequena república independente na raia fronteiriça, que agora está a tentar ser descoberta para o turismo. Três aldeias que tinham regras e privilégios muito próprios. Um estado autónomo, em que seus habitantes podiam optar pela nacionalidade, não usavam documentos de identificação pessoal, não pagavam impostos, não existiam impressos, papéis selados. Auto-governava-se firmando acordos em assembleia com todos os seus habitantes e elegia entre os seus um Juiz que exercia funções governativas, administrativas e judiciais, auxiliado por homens-bons das três aldeias. Era uma terra cheia de tesouros materiais e imateriais. A originalidade deste enclave foi a de manter a sua própria organização desvinculada das coroas portuguesa e espanhola até ao Tratado de Lisboa de 1864 e isto dá-nos uma ideia da arbitrariedade da fronteira.
Uma fronteira que partia aldeias pela metade, como foi o caso de Rio de Onor. Mas, só no plano físico, pois os matrimónios mistos, a deslocação para o outro lado para trabalhar, fazer fortuna ou escapar a alguma guerra continuaram sendo algo habitual.
O presente estudo perspectiva-se equacionando o significado que teve a história deste couto arraiano e utilizá-la nos nossos dias em prol das suas gentes. Deste modo, foi usado o método do estudo de caso, as técnicas de investigação aplicadas foram a pesquisa bibliográfica e o inquérito por entrevista.
Confirmamos, através deste estudo que os discursos mudam mais rapidamente do que as práticas e que, ainda há muito caminho a percorrer para que a valorização e dinamização deste lugar seja uma realidade. É necessário dotar o meio rural de infra-estruturas para um adequado aproveitamento cultural e condições necessárias à prática do lazer. Estas aldeias têm uma função de utilidade pública, para que as gerações futuras tenham consciência da sua importância e valorizem esta República dos Sonhos que tantas histórias conta e que a todos nós pertence um pouco.
Nowadays it is very easy to get information and this fact arouses the people’s interests. This can be a good opportunity of development in areas which were unknown and then they can become attractive. The “Couto Misto” was a small independent republic nearby the border area, which is at present being found by tourism. There were three villages which had their own laws and privileges. It was a regional state, in which their inhabitants could opt for the nationality, they didn’t use personal identification cards, they didn’t pay taxes and there weren´t and printed forms or sealed papers. It had a self-government which subscribed agreements in assembly with all the inhabitants present and elected among them a judge who had governing, administrative and law-suit services. This judge was helped by three good-men from the three villages. It was a land full of material and immaterial tresours. This area was original, because it was the only one to have its own organization, without depending on the Portuguese and Spanish crown until the “Lisbon Agreement” in 1864. This fact proves the arbitrary sense of the border area. There was a border which divided the villages into halves like Rio de Onor. However, this happened only in the geographical plan, because the mixed heritage, the dislocation from one side to the other to work, to make fortune or even to escape from war were still considered as something usual. This study wants to equate the meaning that History had in this border area and to use it nowadays to the advantage of its people. This way, it was used the study case method and the investigation techniques were the bibliographic researches and surveys based on interviews. Through this study we confirmed that the speeches change more quickly than the practices and still there is a long way to go along in order to achieve the dynamics and the value of this place. It’s necessary to endow the rural area with infrastructures which provide an adequate cultural use and the necessary conditions to the recreation or spare time. These villages play a civil service role in such an important way that makes the future generations to be aware of its importance and to value this “Republic of Dreams” which shows us so many stories and which belongs to everyone of us.
Nowadays it is very easy to get information and this fact arouses the people’s interests. This can be a good opportunity of development in areas which were unknown and then they can become attractive. The “Couto Misto” was a small independent republic nearby the border area, which is at present being found by tourism. There were three villages which had their own laws and privileges. It was a regional state, in which their inhabitants could opt for the nationality, they didn’t use personal identification cards, they didn’t pay taxes and there weren´t and printed forms or sealed papers. It had a self-government which subscribed agreements in assembly with all the inhabitants present and elected among them a judge who had governing, administrative and law-suit services. This judge was helped by three good-men from the three villages. It was a land full of material and immaterial tresours. This area was original, because it was the only one to have its own organization, without depending on the Portuguese and Spanish crown until the “Lisbon Agreement” in 1864. This fact proves the arbitrary sense of the border area. There was a border which divided the villages into halves like Rio de Onor. However, this happened only in the geographical plan, because the mixed heritage, the dislocation from one side to the other to work, to make fortune or even to escape from war were still considered as something usual. This study wants to equate the meaning that History had in this border area and to use it nowadays to the advantage of its people. This way, it was used the study case method and the investigation techniques were the bibliographic researches and surveys based on interviews. Through this study we confirmed that the speeches change more quickly than the practices and still there is a long way to go along in order to achieve the dynamics and the value of this place. It’s necessary to endow the rural area with infrastructures which provide an adequate cultural use and the necessary conditions to the recreation or spare time. These villages play a civil service role in such an important way that makes the future generations to be aware of its importance and to value this “Republic of Dreams” which shows us so many stories and which belongs to everyone of us.
Descrição
Dissertação de Mestrado em Turismo
Palavras-chave
Turismo rural , Desenvolvimento local , Couto misto