▁allowed ▁it ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁cross ro ads ▁of ▁various ▁pe op les . ▁An cient ▁Roman ▁road ways ▁connected ▁Porto , ▁V ise u , ▁Lis bon ▁and ▁B rag a ▁and ▁inter se cted ▁the ▁region , ▁and ▁was ▁used ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁In ▁addition , ▁pre - R oman ▁cast ros ▁d otted ▁the ▁territory . ▁ ▁Event ually , ▁nom adic ▁tribes ▁began ▁to ▁sett le ▁in ▁the ▁vic inity ▁of ▁the ▁castle . ▁This ▁settlement ▁soon ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Terra ▁de ▁Santa ▁Maria . ▁This ▁name ▁first ▁appeared ▁in ▁ 1 1 1 7 , ▁in ▁a ▁don ation ▁by ▁D . ▁Ter esa , ▁who ▁began ▁to ▁res ide ▁in ▁the ▁castle ▁around ▁ 1 1 2 0 . ▁The ▁lands ▁of ▁Santa ▁Maria ▁included ▁a ▁vast ▁territory ▁that ▁included ▁not ▁only ▁the ▁municipality ▁of ▁Fe ira , ▁but ▁also ▁O var , ▁V ila ▁Nova ▁de ▁Ga ia , ▁V ale ▁de ▁Camb ra ▁and ▁São ▁João ▁da ▁Made ira , ▁among ▁others . ▁ ▁The ▁castle ▁of ▁Santa ▁Maria ▁da ▁Fe ira , ▁the ▁ex - li br is ▁of ▁Fe ira , ▁is ▁a ▁test ament ▁to ▁the ▁military ▁architecture ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges . ▁It ▁is ▁the ▁ful c rum ▁of ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁region , ▁and ▁an ▁important ▁point ▁in ▁the ▁Re con qu ista . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁king ▁Den is ▁of ▁Portugal , ▁Fe ira ▁already ▁was ▁the ▁see ▁of