House of the Skeletons

Category: Civil Architecture > Museum

District: Coimbra > Condeixa-a-Nova > Ameixieira > Conímbriga

Location

The Domus of the Skeletons is located within the archaeological area of Conímbriga, an ancient Roman city of notable size and historical importance in Portugal. It is situated in the locality of Ameixieira, in the municipality of Condeixa-a-Nova. Its position within the ruins' perimeter offers an authentic perspective on the urban organization and daily life of its ancient inhabitants, inviting an immersive journey through Roman antiquity.

A Prestigious Residence

This Roman house, built between the late 1st and early 2nd centuries, represents a significant example of a high-class private residence. Its architecture is notable for the functional distribution of spaces: the main entrance, the interior courtyard with colonnades (known as a peristyle), and the spacious dining room were aligned along a central axis. This arrangement underscores the intention to create an environment of grandeur and comfort, suitable for the status of its occupants.

History and Naming

Throughout the 3rd century, the Domus of the Skeletons was embellished with elaborate mosaic pavements, reflecting the taste and wealth of the era. However, its existence as a dwelling was interrupted at the end of the same century or the beginning of the next, when it was demolished to allow for the construction of Conímbriga's defensive wall. Subsequently, the area it occupied transformed into a cemetery, used in both the late Roman and medieval eras, with this latter occupation being the origin of the house's peculiar name. The excavations that revealed this site occurred between the 1940s and 1960s.

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