Monuments

Ucanha Tower and Bridge
Seen together, the mediaeval bridge over the river Varosa and the tower standing at its entrance on the right bank form a rare and beautiful testimony to Gothic civil architecture in Portugal. The bridge has been clearly documented since the thirteenth century and was part of an old mediaeval road linking Lamego to the region of Riba-Côa.

In 1465, D. Fernando, the abbot of Salzedas, the monastery that had been given possession of vast areas of land in the region, financed the building of the fortified bridge that marked the entrance to the estates of the Cistercian monastery and the consequent obligation to pay a toll.
This was only ended in 1527, when Ucanha became dependent on the king´s central power.

On the idyllic banks of the river Varosa there now stands the small village with its old houses. Curiously, in old Portuguese, the word Ucanha meant a small stone house.