Overview
Arcas is a Portuguese civil parish in the municipality of Macedo de Cavaleiros in the northeast corner of Portugal. The population in 2011 was 262, in an area of 23.02 km2.
History
Little is known as to the parish's founding, although its toponymic name may refer to the existence of megalithic funerary monuments located within its territory. A legend suggests that these funerary structures existed on the site that the current church, dedicated to the Divino Senhor dos Passos, is erected.
Its geographic isolation, due to its high relief, morphological obstacles and extreme climate was always a factor that prevented large human settlements. Regardless, the territory came under Roman occupation, which imposed a modernizing influence on to the Celto-iberian tribes that forged in the region.
With the influence of feudal nobility, such as Bragançãos, the jurisdiction was slowly populated. In 1284, a foral (charter) was bestowed on Nozelos by King Denis.
From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).