Category: Religious Architecture > Church
District: Lisboa > Sintra > Odrinhas > Barreira
The Church of São Miguel de Odrinhas is located in the village of Odrinhas, in the Barreira area, part of the municipality of Sintra. This place, with a rural atmosphere and situated in the Várzea de Sintra, stands out for its tranquility and historical importance, revealing one of the most significant Roman presences in the region. Its position offers a point of interest for those exploring the area between the historic town of Sintra and the fishing village of Ericeira.
The history of the Church of São Miguel de Odrinhas and its surroundings is a testament to continuous human presence over millennia. Built in the 12th century, the church stands upon the vestiges of an ancient Roman villa, whose origins date back to the 1st century BC. Later, in the 4th century AD, a new villa was built over the previous one. This archaeological site, which the church integrates, allows for the observation of superimposed layers of civilizations that inhabited this territory, offering a unique perspective on Sintra's past beyond its more well-known medieval and modern periods.
The church itself displays characteristics of Portuguese rural architecture, simple and integrated into the landscape. However, it is its connection with the adjacent ruins that makes it truly fascinating. Next to it, one can observe sections of the walls and rooms of the ancient Roman villa, including a remarkable mosaic pavement with geometric designs. Near the chapel, an enigmatic apsidal structure from the 2nd century AD also stands out, whose original function (whether a temple, a mausoleum, or a noble hall of the villa) continues to be an object of study, underscoring the complexity of this archaeological site.
The area around the Chapel of São Miguel transformed, during the Late Middle Ages, into a remarkable cemetery, the only medieval one excavated in Portugal. Here, numerous graves can be observed, some with their characteristic discoidal headstones, dating from the 12th to the 15th centuries. The site also houses important stone inscriptions: under the chapel's porch, there is a 1st-century sepulchral slab with a Roman inscription, and inside, a funerary stele reused as a bench. Adjacent to the chapel, the tomb of Fernão Reganha is also found, a tangible record of historical figures linked to this place.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 38.886895054545, -9.3661925818182
Coordinates DMS: 38°53'12.8"N 09°21'58.3"W
On-duty Pharmacy Odrinhas
