The name Arez appears sometimes referred to as “Ares”, which may eventually be interpreted as reference to the good environment of the location. Another hypothesis may be related with the roman name of Arentius (Arentius was identified as the Roman God Arencio), due to the existence of remains from Roman occupation within the area of Nisa municipality, particularly in Nisa-a-Velha (The Old Nisa). Still relating to Roman occupation some words exist associated to the name of the village: “Arens”, “Arentis” which means dry or arid, and also “Aires” e “Ares”, names from other parts of the Roman world.
In Marvão’s 1226 Privilege Law the term “come Ares” is referred. This led to the belief of being a foreign name brought during the setting of populations in Alentejo.

The earliest occupation of the region was in Vila Velha de Ródão (Pedras Ruivas, Paleolithic camp is dated 80 000 years B.C.). Within the area of Arez several populations created communities with their own organization, religion, social division of work. Ways of living and traditions related with the surrounding environment. These are still visible in the Antas religious manifestations, or in everyday life stone tools, personal adornments made of bone or stone, or ceramic objects and even on the symbolic and sacred Art of Rock Engravings from Tejo River. This art started on the Upper Paleolithic (10 000 B.C.) up to the Iron Age (1 000 B.C.). Dated before this time, more precisely after the Neolithic (5 000 B.C.), are the Antas existing on Nisa municipality, being the Anta de S.Gens the most well known.
Roman dominion’s presence is supported by findings of materials and objects within the county limits. Aras, construction materials, (“telhões”, “pedras d’intigo”, “caqueirada”), coins and utensils (clay fragments).

Between the years of 1198 and 1200 and referred to by D.João II Chancellery, the Commandment title of Arez was created.
Arez Privilege Law to regulate the governance and the penal, process and civil aspects of the village was awarded by king D.Manuel I, dated 20th October 1517 and was issued in Lisbon.  It belonged to the Command of the Order of Christ and as such the parish priest was their friar. On historical documents from the Cortes of Almeirim (1544) and presented to the monarch D.João III by its procurators, references are made to the villages of “…Monte Allvã /Arees /Villa Frol /Alpalhão”.

During the Succession War in 1704 the passage of troops through the region brought about considerable losses and damages. The population count (Numeramento) in 1732 indicated that Arez had nearly 340 inhabitants uniformly distributed by all ages.

The second half of the XVIII century came with numerous military movements. From 1809 to 1812 the Peninsular War involving Napoleon‘s armies continued to cause losses and damage to the region.
In 1833 the municipality of Arez, together with Montalvão, Alpalhão e Tolosa, joined the judicial area of Castelo Branco. The municipality was extinguished in 1836’s judicial reform and definitely integrated in Nisa’s judicial area in November of the same year. In the year 1866 the total population of Arez accounted for 410 inhabitants.

From the XIX century come most of the characteristics of today’s Arez. The existence of automobiles after the second half of the XIX century made the national road serving Arez expand at the same rate as the automobile industry, although no productive activity was gained and even excluded some local trade.

The village has seen, still during the «Estado Novo» (1940’s), the creation of the «Casa do Povo» (House of the People), a state organism aiming health care to local populations. These services where later on transferred to the Local Medical Centre. During the Middle Ages and until the first half of the XIX century, the village had its own “Misericórdia” and “Hospital”. This consisted in a small treatment room, for which no record of location has been discovered.

Between the years of 1960 and 1991 the decrease of population reached 40%. The Colonial War and emigration, mostly after the 1960’s, to European countries and to South America has been the cause of this fact. To this should be added the departure of populations towards the big cities where jobs existed and offered better living conditions: Lisbon all cities around it, Coimbra, Porto, Portalegre and Castelo Branco where some of the cities.

Official population forecasts for year 2011 point towards a 36% elderly population (over 65 years of age) and a 6% young population (less than 15 years of age). In fact Arez, as for Nisa and the Northern Alentejo region, has been loosing a great part of its human richness. In 1950 Nisa municipality had 19920 inhabitants which dropped to only 9864 inhabitants in 1991.

Nowadays, and as for all its Northern part, Alentejo faces continuous aging of the population due to heavy unemployment, progressive rural areas exodus and climate changes towards desertification of the region. However, there is still intrinsically some potential in Arez village, now belonging to Nisa municipality. The extraordinary richness of its cultural, historical and built heritage altogether still work as tourism attractions due to a strongly preserved and qualified rural space. The development of the region of which Arez is a part of will, no doubt be passing through these elements.

by
Ana Santos Leitão
Ricardo Reis