The castro of Monte do Padrão is probably one of the most important cultural and historical assets of the community of Santo Tirso. Its presence is an everlasting landmark on this territory that, when combined with its historical and symbolic importance, projects the whole area throughout the entire region. The intrinsic connection between the population and one of the most important historical characters of Christianity of the peninsular northwest - Saint Rosendo - surely one of the most important inhabitants of Santo Tirso.

The castro of Monte do Padrão, which was graded as National Monument since 16th of June 1910, was excavated for the first time in the 1950's by Carlos Faya Santarém. However, it is only after the mid 1980s that the Town Hall started a series of actions in order to promote the protection, study and valorisation of this archaeological site. It was based on this view that it has been developed the fieldwork on the castro of Monte do Padrão, whose project can be described as being an approach complying both the scientific investigation and the patrimonial protection and its valorisation.

The enormous scientific and patrimonial potential of this hillfort or castro is mostly due to its long occupation and to the fact that it preserves a multiple type of structures which illustrate about three thousand years of History.

The access to the castro can be made through the parish of the Monte Cordova, towards Quinchães, taking the forestall path which gives access to the Chapel of Senhor do Padrão.