Roman Villa of Freiria

Category: Archaeology > Villa

District: Lisboa > Cascais > Polima > Casal de Freiria

Location

, Located in São Domingos de Rana, Cascais, between the villages of Polima and Outeiro de Polima, in a valley with two watercourses that form the Polima stream.

Historical Significance

, Considered one of the most complete Roman residences in the Iberian Peninsula.

, Notable for the monumentality of its granary and the rare sundial found on site.

Recognition

, Declared a Property of Public Interest by Resolutions of the Council of Ministers of 1997 and 2005.

Discovery and Archaeological Studies

, First identified by archaeologist Virgílio Correia in 1912.

, Systematic studies carried out in 1973 by Guilherme Cardoso and José d`Encarnação.

, Several archaeological campaigns throughout the 80s, 90s and 2000s revealed important details about the occupation of the site.

Occupation Periods

, Records of human occupation since the Paleolithic period.

, Evidence of continuous occupation from the First Iron Age to the Roman period.

Discovered Structures

, Domus: Manor house with atrium, peristyle, impluvium, polychrome mosaics and walls decorated with painted stucco.

, Granary: Monumental and comparable only to the one found in the Roman Villa of Monroy, in Cáceres.

, Mill and Wine Press: Structures associated with the granary, used for agricultural production.

, Thermal Baths: Including hypocaust and cold and hot water tanks.

, Necropolis: Cremation and burial site with incineration urns and a lamp decorated with the goddess Diana.

, Mosaics: Drawings typical of Roman culture found in recent excavations.

Archaeological Finds

, Decorative artifacts such as a canine grotesque and a sundial.

, Fragments of common ceramics and terra sigillata.

, Needles, bone pins, iron awls and two "treasures" of coins.

, Altar consecrated to the indigenous deity Triborúnio.

Requalification and Opening to the Public

, Requalification project approved in 2017, completed in 2018.

, Included the installation of wooden walkways, informative signage and support infrastructure.

, Open to the public daily between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_villa_of_Freiria

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