South Alentejo Tourism Guide » Almodôvar Archive » South Alentejo Tourism Guide

Povoado das Mesas do Castelinho From The Iron Age, in Almodôvar

tourist — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 21:06:26 +0000

With occupancy to go back to the Iron Age, the Castelinho of seating town is located on a high point but weak territorial domain, the natural border zone between Serra do Algarve and the Alentejo. Among the remaining ruins are vestiges of Islamic occupation. The most notorious is a small fortress dating from the Umayyad period, with oval plan, surrounded by a moat, built on the top deck of the ancient settlement from the Iron Age. Despite its current state of disrepair, the contours of the moat allowed identify a walled area occupying between 700 and 800 square meters. Also the massive emplacements two rectangular towers were identified one by West, advanced towards the walls with about 4 x 5 meters, and another to the north, slightly protruding, also with about five meters away.

The archaeological excavations also have revealed silos in indoor and outdoor fortification, where was exhumed a rich set of ceramic fragments dating from the X-XI centuries. The analysis of organic remains concluded that Islamic populationsMesas do Castelinho – “Castelinho Desks” would in hunting the main power supply, which also points to a little sedentary community, possibly warriors functions. Could it is originally a military trim, in proximity of which was installed or an existing grown rural community.

The various archaeological campaigns in this archaeological site have identified the presence of several fortifications (though without cistern, perhaps due to the proximity of a water mine) built between the Iron Age and the Umayyad period when they erected a watchtower surrounded by a moat , at a time when the town of occupation have taken a sharp permanence character after the Republican Roman period have left traces on the site diversified its full activity. The evidence gathered during the excavations seem, however, point to the presence of the oldest occupations, which remontarão the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age the end.

Southwest Writing Museum – Conia Writing, in Almodôvar

tourist — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 20:58:17 +0000

The Southwest Writing Museum is located in the town of Almodovar, Beja District, Portugal, dedicated to Conia writing.

The museum is housed in the old building Municipal Movie Theatre, in the historic center of Almodovar. It opened to the public on September 29, 2007.

The museum’s permanent collection has about 20 pieces, including a permanent estate of 16 stelae discovered in the archaeological heart of Almodovar.

Its most remarkable part is the Estela de São Martinho – “Stele of St. Martin”, found in the archaeological site of São Marcos da Serra, in Silves, about 60 signs, considered one of the most extensive written submissions from tartéssica or Conia.

Almodovar Village

tourist — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 20:55:00 +0000

The Almodovar village is marked in medieval Islamic cartography under the name “Al-Mudura” a word that means “round thing” or “fenced round.” The village was rebuilt at the time of the Muslim invasion of the Iberian peninsula, the time it was surrounded by walls and built a castle, whose remains, however, disappeared.

At the time of the Christian Reconquista of the peninsula belonged to the Master of the Order of Santiago, with letter charter granted by Dinis of Portugal on 17 April 1285. Through this document were provided great privileges, among them “the people do not pay part in any toll “or” the village cattle and his term pay mounts “as established in the Livro de Regimento de Verdes e Montados “Rules book of Greens and mounted”.

Later, Manuel I of Portugal, on June 1, 1512 granted the Foral New to the village, confirming and extending the privileges granted by D. Dinis.