1 4 2 5 . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 ▁January ▁ 1 5 1 2 , ▁the ▁sett lers ▁benef ited ▁from ▁a ▁for al ▁( char ter ) ▁issued ▁by ▁the ▁Av iz , ▁and ▁granted ▁by ▁King ▁Manuel ▁I . ▁By ▁ 1 5 3 8 , ▁King ▁John ▁III ▁elev ated ▁the ▁settlement ▁to ▁the ▁status ▁of ▁town . ▁ ▁Import ant ▁to ▁the ▁regions ▁growth ▁were ▁the ▁Count s ▁of ▁Gal ve ias : ▁the ▁first ▁tit ular , ▁Din is ▁de ▁Mel o ▁e ▁Castro , ▁was ▁installed ▁in ▁ 1 6 9 1 ▁( there ▁were ▁ 1 0 ▁tit ular ▁until ▁it ▁was ▁ultimately ▁ex ting u ished ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 0 ). ▁ ▁Geography ▁Gal ve ias ▁is ▁situated ▁in ▁the ▁municipality ▁of ▁P onte ▁de ▁Sor : ▁it ▁is ▁located ▁ 1 4 ▁kilometres ▁from ▁the ▁municipal ▁seat , ▁and ▁ 1 8 ▁kilometres ▁from ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Av ís , ▁crossed ▁by ▁the ▁E . N . 2 4 4 ▁motor way . ▁ ▁The ▁local ▁population ▁is ▁concentr ated ▁in ▁the ▁main ▁town ▁( G al ve ias ), ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁homes ▁are ▁older ▁dwell ings , ▁apart ▁from ▁two ▁modern ▁resident ial ▁develop ments . ▁Com pr ising ▁ 1 8 0 0 ▁residents , ▁it ▁is ▁composed ▁of ▁primarily ▁sen iors ▁( h aving ▁the ▁highest ▁percentage ▁of ▁older ▁adult s ), ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁an ▁elev ated ▁number ▁of ▁imm igr ants ▁( prim arily ▁from