Follow algarvetour on Twitter Subscribe in a reader Europe Blogs - BlogCatalog Blog Directory Powered by Google App Engine PORTUGAL ALGARVE TOURIST TRAVELER GUIDE NewPost BlogConfig AdminLog

Querença Loulé Algarve Typical Villages Architecture HeritageTraditional Villas Chimneys Chaminé Algarvia

Buzz This
Algarve Tour Travel Guide, information and photos of historical sites, typical villages, architecture and heritage of Portugal, Algarve, near the municipality of Loulé, near Vilamoura, Quarteira, Quinta da Ombria, Querença, Quinta do Lago, Vale do Lobo and Faro

Algarve's Tourist Guide - Historic sites, typical villages, architecture and heritage sites in the Algarve
Loulé Tourist Guide - Historic sites, typical villages, architecture and heritage of Loulé

The Algarve Chimneys of Querença (Chaminés Algarvias de Querença)

Querença is a typical village belonging to the municipality of Loulé in the Algarve region, full of natural beauty, architecture and tradition.
This is a region of human occupancy since remote periods, different people and cultures was here.
At the top of the hill, 270m high, this beautiful village of white houses and beautiful Chimneys, typical architecture of the Algarve traditional Villas, unpretentious homes with color bars and traditional chimneys, where there we find the  influences of Arabic architecture, forming a set of great beauty, providing a warm environment and peace of mind.


A architectural and ornamental legacy present in most cities and towns of southern Portugal and visible in the narrow streets, the structure of the houses with stylish minarets pointing to the the sky, the chimneys (as chaminés) adorning the roofs.

Cylindrical or prismatic, square or rectangular, simple or elaborate, the chimneys of the Algarve are a symbol of the region and evidence of the influence of five centuries of Arab occupation.

There was a time, that in the Algarve, you could'nt find two equal chimneys, because more or less elaborated, the decorative motifs always depended on the days of construction, prestige, pride and possessions of the owner. Indeed, it was customary among the master masons, ask the owners, how many construction days for the chimney to make the price of the chimney to be built, which translated in time that it took to build.

The predominant color was the whitewash, but honorable exceptions still show some colorful motifs,

especially in blue and ocher. The chimney, was a symbol of status, and this one of the main reasons why the Algarve chimneys bearing all kinds of forms, from simple grooves, to intricate and beautiful tracery, or miniature representation of clock towers or houses. But always a visible symbol of folk art, a test of skill for each builder and a source of pride for any owner

More than pure utility, the chimneys of the Algarve played a decorative role, as evidenced by the presence of two chimneys in the cottages, in a region where climatic conditions did'nt justify it.

The chimney of use and also the simplest and most functional at home, was situated in the oven house, where it was customary to eat meals, while the smaller and personified chimneys, occupied a prominent place in the kitchen of their home, apartment place, used only to receive visits or organize parties

In practical terms, the chimney was considered a sign of the presence of people in the houses, a good indicator of the weather and the location where was marked the date of construction of the houses.


The interior of the Algarve, especially Querença, is one of the places where they can best address these secular chimneys of the Algarve, the art of geometric shapes and different tracery, topped lime, reflecting the prestige and pride of the owners.



If you go to Querença, you will enjoy, and should also visit the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption (igreja da Nossa Senhora da Assunção), blending architecture, a mixx of Arabic, Gothic and Baroque styles. Its a earth friendly people, where traditional food is free of chemicals and at fair prices.



Zone of much water, streams and fountains, where in August, the tops of the trees show a bright green, unusual in the region. Among the hills, the river Fonte da Benemola streams, and the river of Mercês, through valleys lined with lush vegetation, reeds, poplars and olive trees.

In the midst of the vegetation, the water sources: Benémola Natural Water Source, Fonte da Esparrela, the Fonte Filipe Natural Water Source and other water sources and natural springs that join the streams, a true oasis in the arid hinterland area.



These eyes of water, which served the people of the parish, beautiful and seductive, almost in wild state, are perfect for dating.

Walking, or cycling, or riding an horse, are the best ways to knows better this paradise, where you see some owls, nightingales and bee. Nearer the river frogs newts and turtles also give the air of grace.

You can take advantage and climb to the Cerro dos Negros, 406meters hight, the view is magnificent. You can see mountains and coast, including, Monchique and the FOIA.

As a reminder, you can buy a basket of handmade cane and stay the evening with family or the girlfriend, enjoying a pleasant well spent day.

See Querença location and how to get there on Google Maps

0 comentários:

Enviar um comentário

Related Posts with Thumbnails

wibiya widget

Magniwork Energy internet scam



Internet fraudsters are raking in thousands of dollars a day with an elaborate scam selling magnetic perpetual motion machines that are claimed to produce infinite free energy.

Since spring this year an operation called Magniwork has been selling a $50 DIY guide to building a perpetual motion device at home. On their web-site the fraudsters claim the materials are available in any local hardware store for less than $100. One estimate puts sales of the guide as high as 5,000 copies a month, making the scam worth up to $3m a year.

The claims for Magniwork are advanced via an extensive Google advertising campaign, and a network of blogs, web-sites and reviews endorsing the product. They are given further credibility by a clip of film from Sky News Australia about plans for a similar product made by a legitimate if optimistic research company called Lutec. Lutec patented its technology in 19 countries in 1999, but the product has still not seen the light of day. Off-Grid has discovered that the clip is over 8 years old.

Perpetual motion machine

Magniwork which describes its product as ‘a magnetic power generator’ claims to have invented a revolutionary off-grid power source that uses magnets to “power itself and create energy by itself, without requiring solar energy, heat, water, coal or any kind of resource.” The web-site promises the device will generate perpetual energy which will “fully power your home for free.”

However even the idea of such a device is dismissed by trained physicists. “The little explanation they give on their website makes no sense to me,” said Gunnar Pruessner, a lecturer in physics at Imperial College London. “For starters it breaks with all we know about quantum physics since Dirac, which says that we cannot tap into zero point fluctuations or virtual particles.”

Priceless IP

He observed that if the claims were true, they would mark the biggest advance in science ever. “It would bring a world-wide socio-economic revolution with incalculable political consequences. So you have to ask why are they scuzzing around selling their priceless IP (intellectual property) for a few dollars?”

Made in Macedonia

The site gives no way of contacting Magniwork -other than to order the guide. But its legal disclaimer reveals that despite the .com web address which suggests a US-based company, Magniwork is in fact located in Macedonia, a tiny republic on the northern border of Greece in Europe. “This Agreement shall all be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of Macedonia applicable to agreements made and to be performed in Macedonia,” it reads. It has similarly proved difficult to identify the individuals behind the scheme. But one researcher claims to have written to the site’s web-master who referred in his reply to a man simply called “Igor”, the manual’s publisher.

Kernel of truth

Angry customers admit that the guide does contain kernels of truth. “Some of the suggestions in the e-book can reduce your home power consumption. For example, checking for air leaks, have better home insulation, servicing your air-conditioning unit or heate etc,”wrote one. But is it essentially amateurish and misleading, they say. “The whole “document” is 57 pages long and looks like something a kid in high school put together. The final “generator” is basically a magnet that is 2″ high sitting on a turntable that is 4″ high! They claim that its output is 24.5 Watts! That is 1/100th of what my house uses when the AC is on. It wouldn’t put out enough power to light up a standard light bulb,“ wrote another angry blogger. Fraudulent

Alternative energy expert Sterling D. Allan founder of The New Energy Congress has examined Magniwork’s claims. “Most of the 50+ page manual contains energy conservation tips that are based on well-established principles,” he said. But he points out that plans for the device are freely available elsewhere, they are based on other people’s work and he claims to have tried to contact people offering testimonials, without success. “The wording on their site still gives the reader the idea that the plans will result in a working free energy device but that is not the case. Such representation is fraud,” he concluded.

Although highly implausible, the idea of somehow harvesting magnetic power has intrigued scientists for over a century. It was first suggested by pioneering physicist Nicola Tesla in the nineteenth century. Australian company Lutec is still trying to perfect such a device. And U.S based based Magnetic Power Inc, headed by Mark Goldes, has claimed to be on the verge of launching a ‘Magnetic Power Module’ for at least six years. There is no suggestion that either Lutec or MPI are part of the scam.