Roman Villa of Santo André de Almoçageme

Category: Archaeology > Roman Villa

District: Lisboa > Sintra > Almoçageme > Casal de Santo André

Location

The Roman Villa of Santo André de Almoçageme is located within the Casal de Santo André urbanization, in the locality of Almoçageme, in the municipality of Sintra, Lisbon district. This site is distinguished by being the most western Roman villa in the entire Roman Empire, situated approximately two kilometers from the mouth of the Ribeira de Colares.

Its setting is predominantly rural, benefiting from its inclusion in the Sintra-Cascais Protected Area, which lends the site a natural and tranquil environment, inviting contemplation of its historical legacy.

A Chapter of the Roman Empire

This notable archaeological complex represents a valuable testament to the Roman presence in the Sintra region, with its construction and occupation extending between the 2nd and 6th centuries AD. Initially conceived as a villa of a predominantly agricultural nature, it housed both work and production areas and the sumptuous residence of its owners, evidencing the duality between functionality and opulence.

Over time, the villa prospered as a center of rural and economic activity, adapting to the needs and dynamics of the Roman period in the Iberian Peninsula. However, from the mid-6th century onwards, the complex was gradually abandoned, leaving behind a vast collection of remains to be unveiled.

Vestiges and Archaeological Revelations

Excavations carried out over the past decades have revealed a fascinating sample of Roman daily life and architecture. It is possible to observe the foundations of the walls, built with irregular ashlar masonry, which outline the original plan of the villa. Particularly noteworthy are the polychrome mosaic floors, considered the largest collection of its kind discovered to date in the Lisbon district, which adorned several rooms of the main residence with their diverse patterns and colors.

In addition to the residential areas, structures such as two mortar tanks, likely linked to storage or processing activities, and a brick kiln, once used for ceramic production, have been identified, revealing the villa's productive activities. The presence of an infant inhumation grave near the kiln adds a human and symbolic dimension to the site, evoking the life and rites of passage of its ancient inhabitants. The archaeological finds, including fine ceramics imported from North Africa, Gaul, and the Eastern Mediterranean, offer a perspective on the trade routes and the sophisticated daily life of the inhabitants of this remarkable villa at the western edge of the Empire.

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