Orjais hillfort and ruins of a construction next to the Nossa Senhora das Cabeças chapel

Category: Archaeology > Fortified Settlement

District: Castelo Branco > Covilhã > Orjais

Location

Situated in the locality of Orjais, in the municipality of Covilhã, district of Castelo Branco, this historic site rises at an elevated point in the landscape. Its dominant position offers a characteristic visual setting of Beira Interior, with views that extend over the surrounding territory.

The location, conceived for defense and surveillance in ancient times, today offers visitors a privileged perspective on the natural environment and the surrounding mountains, in an atmosphere of tranquility and observation.

Traces of an Ancient Presence

The Castro de Orjais is a testament to millennia of human occupation in this region. These settlements, common in the Iberian Peninsula, were fortified communities that thrived in proto-historic periods, particularly during the Iron Age. Their establishment at strategic points allowed for visual control of the territory and the protection of their inhabitants.

As one traverses the site, it is possible to discern the remnants of the ancient defensive structure that once protected the community, as well as the foundations of buildings that comprised the residential core. These ruins, although fragmented by time, invite imagination about the daily lives and experiences of their former inhabitants.

The Continuity of History and Symbolism

The Chapel of Nossa Senhora das Cabeças (Our Lady of the Heads), located on this site, symbolizes the continuity of human and cultural presence throughout the centuries. Its proximity to the ruins of the 'castro' and an adjacent construction creates a dialogue between distinct eras, suggesting a succession or superposition of uses and meanings for the same elevated space.

This juxtaposition of a fortified dwelling site with a later religious edifice underscores the enduring importance of this elevated point for the communities that settled here. It is a place where the region's oldest history meets the devotion and culture that have been built and maintained over time.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt