Category: Archaeology > Villa
District: Évora > Estremoz > Monte dos Pretos
The Lusitano-Roman Villa of Santa Vitória do Ameixial is located in the serene village of Monte dos Pretos, within the municipality of Estremoz and the district of Évora, in the heart of Alentejo. This site is set amidst a landscape with typical Alentejan characteristics, marked by gentle undulations and vast agricultural plains, dotted with olive and cork trees. The surroundings are predominantly rural, evoking the tranquility and fertility of the land that sustained life on this property for nearly two millennia.
The Lusitano-Roman Villa of Santa Vitória do Ameixial represents a significant testament to the Roman presence and influence in the ancient province of Lusitania. Dating from a period when the Roman Empire flourished in this region, these structures were more than mere residences; they functioned as nerve centers of vast agricultural estates. Their existence underscores the strategic and economic importance of the Alentejo territory during Classical Antiquity, revealing the social and productive organization of the Roman era in this part of the Iberian Peninsula.
Roman villas, such as that of Santa Vitória do Ameixial, were multifunctional architectural complexes, generally divided into two main areas: the pars urbana and the pars rustica. The pars urbana corresponded to the residential area, designed for the comfort of the owner and their family, potentially including spaces such as peristyle courtyards, decorative mosaics, and, at times, private baths equipped with hypocaust heating systems. The pars rustica, in turn, housed facilities dedicated to agricultural production, such as granaries, olive or wine presses, and dwellings for workers. Although the existing remains may vary in their state of preservation, observation of the site allows one to intuit the scale and complexity of this ancient agricultural enterprise.
The importance of the Villa of Santa Vitória do Ameixial also lies in its role as an economic driver for the region. These estates were crucial for the production of essential goods, such as cereals, olive oil, and wine, which sustained both the local population and trade with other parts of the Empire. Beyond its productive value, the villa functioned as a center for the dissemination of Roman culture and customs, integrating into the landscape and transforming it according to the needs and life vision of its occupants. Visiting this site offers a perspective on the social organization, engineering, and art of living in Roman Lusitania, within an environment that still today reflects the serenity and natural richness of Alentejo.
Sources: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_lusitano-romana_de_Santa_Vitória_do_Ameixial
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 38.89992862871318,-7.676953074957374
Coordinates DMS: 38°53'59.7"N 07°40'37.0"W
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