Category: Archaeology > Villa
District: Beja > Vidigueira > Vila de Frades > Monte da Vinha
- São Cucufate is located in Vila de Frades, in the municipality of Vidigueira, in Portugal.
- The Roman Villa of São Cucufate comprises a mansion, thermal baths, temple, and agricultural production area.
- The mansion is the largest structure of its kind in Portugal, with three buildings constructed in successive phases.
- On the ground floor of the mansion, vestiges of the production area are found, such as lodgings for servants, warehouses, pottery, and a wine press.
- The ruins of São Cucufate are important for the study of Roman civilization in Portugal, providing knowledge about architecture, resource exploitation, administrative organization, and the development of Christianity.
- São Cucufate is linked to "vinho de talha," a traditional wine production method in the region.
- The "Vinho de Talha" Interpretive Center, inaugurated in 2020, is dedicated to the "vinho de talha" wine production method.
- The archaeological site has an interpretation center that provides information about the history and architecture of the ruins.
- Part of the found collection is preserved in a museum space at Casa do Arco.
- The site houses a rich ceramic collection, including amphorae and household utensils.
- Highlights include a brick with a child's footprint and a marble pedestal with figures in relief.
- Tools, kitchen utensils, glassware, jewelry, and coins were found.
- In addition to the Roman period, São Cucufate has traces from the Middle and Modern Ages, including clothing items, religious items, and other utensils.
- The site of the ruins has been occupied since the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods.
- Other Roman remains have been found nearby, including a Roman habitat, a necropolis, and another possible Roman villa.
- During the barbarian invasions, the villa was abandoned but continued to be occupied later.
- The ancient Roman temple was adapted into a Christian basilica, where Paleochristian tombs with Visigothic symbolism were found.
- During the Islamic rule of the Iberian Peninsula, São Cucufate continued to be inhabited, with evidence of habitation in the surrounding areas.
- A Christian monastery was established in the space of the ancient Roman mansion between the 9th and 10th centuries.
- The monastery used existing structures and materials for its construction.
- The monastery was abandoned between the 12th and 13th centuries due to the instability caused by the battles for the possession of the city of Beja during the Reconquista.
- In the 13th century, the canons of São Vicente de Fora built a new monastery dedicated to São Cucufate in the old North body of the Roman mansion.
- In the 1940s and 1970s, the ruins of São Cucufate began to be studied and gained archaeological importance.
- In 1947, they were classified as a National Monument.
- Since the 2000s, further archaeological and site enhancement work has been carried out.
- In recent years, investments have been made to improve the visiting and conservation conditions of the archaeological site.
- Cultural and scientific events have been promoted to disseminate and study the ruins of São Cucufate.
Sources: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_romana_de_São_Cucufate
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 38.223506,-7.845437
Coordinates DMS: 38°13'24.6"N 07°50'43.6"W
Weather Vila de Frades
On-duty Pharmacy Vila de Frades
