The etymology of the name «Valdreu» comes from the low Latin etymology Villa Baldoredi, meaning «the farm or estate of Baldoredo». Referring to Baldoredo, the name of a Germanic person (possibly Swabian) originating from the word Balths: Bold.
The legend of Cabaninhas
The year was 1603, the eve of Santa Luzia. At four o’clock in the afternoon it was already pitch dark. The rain had been falling in torrents for several days, and it didn’t seem to want to let up. The thunderous noise of thunder, accompanied by the entry of lightning into the poor houses, made the inhabitants of Cabaninhas tremble with fear. That same night, a beggar knocked on the doors of every house in that place, hoping for a piece of bread and a roof over his head to keep warm and dry the rags he had stuck to his emaciated body. Unfortunately, all the doors remained closed with the exception of a poor hut where a widow lived with her young children. Minutes after the beggar was welcomed, the storm increased violently. A loud bang echoed everywhere. In great distress, mother and children prostrated themselves on their knees on the damp earthen floor of the house, begging for the protection of Saint Barbara.
As a Divine response, the storm calmed down and not even a breath was heard.
Driven by curiosity, the widow opened the door and was terrified by what she witnessed. The entire village had disappeared, the house, trees, animals and the large cliff, everything was swept away to the Homem River. When the woman turned back into the house, the beggar had disappeared, as if by magic. Legend has it that the beggar was Jesus Christ, and due to the lack of charity of the inhabitants of Cabaninhas, he wanted to show his displeasure.
Many of the bodies of the inhabitants found in the river sand were buried in the nearby chapel of S. Pedro and S. Brás. From that event onwards, the place of Cabaninhas became known as Cabaninhas da Quebrada, a toponym that remains to this day.
