Category: Archaeology > Spring / Fountain
District: Braga > Braga > Braga > São José de São Lázaro
The Fonte do Ídolo (Idol's Fountain) is located on Rua do Raio, in the parish of Braga (São José de São Lázaro e São João do Souto), in the municipality of Braga, Portugal.
Classified as a National Monument since June 16, 1910, the Fonte do Ídolo has great historical and cultural value.
The fountain dates back to Roman times, being an ancient monument of that civilization.
In the Roman period, cults to local divinities were allowed, along with cults to Roman gods. The Fonte do Ídolo was a sanctuary dedicated to the local god called Tongoenabiago, associated with watercourses.
The Fonte do Ídolo is the only Roman monument of Bracara Augusta that has survived to us in good condition, providing valuable information about the cult of indigenous divinities during the Roman period.
The fountain is composed of a natural granite outcrop, in which inscriptions and figures are carved. An inscription mentions the name of Célico Fronto, a native of Arcóbriga, as the person responsible for the construction of the monument. Near this inscription, there is a figure dressed in a toga, possibly representing the dedicator. At the top of the fountain, there is a classic niche with an eroded bust and a figure of a dove on the pediment, probably representing the divinity Tongoenabiago.
Architectural vestiges found in the vicinity suggest that the sanctuary of Fonte do Ídolo may have been part of a temple.
Sources: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fonte_do_Ídolo
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 41.5486642,-8.4218428
Coordinates DMS: 41°32'55.2"N 08°25'18.6"W
Weather Braga
On-duty Pharmacy Braga
