Category: Civil Architecture > Tower
District: Braga > Amares > Vasconcelos > Prozelo
Located in the rural area of Vasconcelos, in Prozelo, Amares municipality, these ruins are situated on a small natural spur that dominates the surrounding landscape. This strategic location, with steep slopes to the south and east, was naturally protected. To the west, the Bárrio stream flowed, serving both for water supply and to reinforce defense by creating a kind of natural moat. From here, the view extends over a fertile valley, flanked by agricultural fields, offering a tranquil and historically relevant setting.
The ruins represent the vestiges of a medieval 'casa de honra' (house of honor), a type of fortified manor house that held great importance in the social and military structure of the era. Locally also known as "Casa dos Mouros" (House of the Moors), this construction dates back to the 13th century and is considered one of the most complete examples and one of the few surviving Romanesque-style medieval palaces that can still be observed in Portugal.
The complex is formed by a tower, the oldest structure, with a quadrangular plan, to which a rectangular residential annex was later added. The ruin allows observation of the ground floor and part of the first floor of the tower and the annex. The original access door of the tower, facing east, is notable, with a full arch on the exterior. On the opposite side, a second door allowed connection to the annex, which features wide doors with pointed arches. When looking at the interior walls, it is possible to discern where the wooden floors rested, by means of stone corbels and visible holes in the walls.
A few meters from the ruins of the manor house stands the small Chapel of Santa Luzia. It is believed that this chapel was the private chapel of the Vasconcelos family, who inhabited the Honra. Despite the renovations it underwent over the centuries, the chapel still retains elements from its medieval period, such as six visible consecration crosses, distributed on the exterior, flanking the portal and windows, and inside, next to the main arch of the temple.
The choice of this location, on a naturally defended spur with access to water, highlights the defensive function that this residence also possessed, characteristic of medieval 'casas de honra'. The Honra de Vasconcelos was a center of local power, established by the family who gave it its name in the 13th century. Although it was abandoned centuries ago, before the 16th century, the robustness of the granite and stonework construction allowed its vestiges to survive to the present day. Visiting this site allows one to connect with the past and imagine the life of a noble family in the Middle Ages in this setting.
Sources: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ru%C3%ADnas_da_Torre_e_Honra_de_Vasconcelos
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 41.6236458,-8.3554433
Coordinates DMS: 41°37'25.1"N 08°21'19.6"W