Vértice Geodésico That Marks the highest point in Continental Portugal. This V. G. is one of the old ones built in granite stone (the more recent ones are built of concrete) a date carved in the granite says 1949.
More information about V. G. In the wikipedia: (
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"A geodesic vertex (also popularly called "talefe" or "telefo" in Portugal, and "pinoco" in the North of Portugal, or "bolembreano", the name given in Portugal to the constructions of the trunk-conical shape of the 2nd and 2nd network. 3rd order) is a sign that indicates an exact cartographic position and forms part of a triangulation network with other geodetic vertices. High, isolated sites with a clear line of sight to other vertices are usually chosen.
Portugal Geodetic Network
The Melriça masonry geodesic vertex, located at an altitude of 592 meters in the center of mainland Portugal, is one of the first geodetic pyramids in Portugal, having been at the origin of the geographic coordinate system associated with Datum 73, the national reference system adopted in 1970s. It was Francisco António Ciera who chose the top of this mountain near Vila de Rei as one of the points of fundamental triangulation in Portugal. Work began in 1790, but were interrupted thirteen years later due to French invasions.
The first observations with a view to triangulation of the site would be made in 1870, while the astronomical observations of latitude, longitude and azimuth, as well as the first satellite observations in Picoto da Melriça were carried out in the 1960s and 70s. distance observations integrated in a north-south polygonal, using for the first time, in the early 1990s, the global positioning system GPS.
The Portuguese geodetic network is formed by geodetic vertices that are divided into three orders of importance:
1st Order - pyramids 30 to 60 km apart
2nd Order - cylinder + cone listed 20 to 30 km away
3rd Order - cylinder + cone at a distance of 5 to 10 km