Freixo de Espada à Cinta (European Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈfɾɐjʃu ðɨ (i)ʃˈpaðɐ a ˈsĩtɐ] ⓘ), sometimes erroneously called Freixo de Espada Cinta (an archaism), is a municipality in the northeastern region of Portugal, near the border with Spain, along the Douro River Valley.

Of all the examples, there are common deductions: a Espada na Cinta de um Freixo (which literally means sword on the belt of an ash).

[4] There is no doubt that freixo in this context refers to the ash tree, a Portuguese derivative of the Latin fraxinus, although the rest of the toponymic name is still confounded in legend.

A similar story recounts that it was King Denis who, fatigued from his battles with his illegitimate son (Afonso Sanches), and travelling through the wilderness of Freixo, he rested under the shadow of the ash tree, where he impaled his broadsword.

[4] The King fell asleep, and after a dream, declared that the village would be known as Freixo de Espada à Cinta.

[3] Shortly after, on 27 March 1248, King Afonso conferred a foral (charter) on this region, and renewing the diploma on 20 January 1273.

The municipality of Freixo, hoping that a medieval fair could help the merchant community and increase the number of local residents (to defend the territory), made a petition to King Denis, which the monarch conferred on the city on 9 March 1307 (to be held monthly for a day).

[3] During the Liberal turmoils of the 19th century, the settlements in Lagoaça, Fornos and Mazouco are visited daily by rebel forces that escaped into Spain, during the latter-part of King John IV reign.

Sport fishing is also popular in this area, which is encountered in the shadow of the Saucelle Dam/Reservoir, and is stocked with minnows, barbel, barb and carp.