Janeiro is the land of boatmen, boat builders and fishermen that simultaneously carved the stone, cultivated the meadows and looked after the pine forests. Hard-working men that developed all these skills due to extreme isolation that they lived in, at the bottom of the valley, between ravines and cliffs. Self-sufficiency, courage and community cooperation were key to its survival – in literal terms, since during the French Invasions their people repelled a column of troops with a few hundred soldiers.

The traditional construction uses a schist base associated with rolled pebbles, giving it a particular look, without having the same characteristics that can be found in Paúl. The existence of a significant set of houses with these characteristics, motivated Janeiro de Cima to be included in the network of Schist Villages.