Category: Archaeology > Dolmen
District: Portalegre > Castelo de Vide > Castelo de Vide
The Anta do Vale da Estrada, also known as Anta do Couto do Zé Godinho, is serenely integrated into the rural landscape of the municipality of Castelo de Vide, in the district of Portalegre. Situated in the eponymous locality, this monumental prehistoric structure offers visitors an atmosphere of quietude and a deep connection to the nature of the Alto Alentejo. The site allows for an immersion in a rural setting, where the imposing nature of the stones merges with the tranquility of the surroundings, providing a moment of reflection and contemplation.
This remarkable monument is a direct link to the communities that inhabited the Castelo de Vide region thousands of years ago. Dating from the Neolithic period, the Anta do Vale da Estrada served as a collective sepulchre, a place of burial and worship for the ancient populations who lived here. Its existence reveals the social complexity, spiritual beliefs, and communal organization of these peoples, who dedicated considerable effort to building monuments that perpetuated the memory of their ancestors and facilitated their passage to the afterlife.
The Anta do Vale da Estrada is an impressive example of megalithic engineering and architecture. It is characterized by a polygonal chamber, composed of large orthostats (vertically arranged stone slabs), which would originally have supported a capstone, forming the roof of the funerary structure. It is usually completed with an access corridor, a common feature in the dolmens of the Alto Alentejo. The magnitude of the stones used and the precision of their placement demonstrate a profound knowledge of construction techniques and a remarkable capacity for social organization on the part of its builders, highlighting the great human effort involved in its construction.
When visiting the Anta do Vale da Estrada, it is possible to feel the profound connection between the monument and the landscape that has embraced it for millennia. This site transcends a mere stone structure; it is a meeting point with the most remote history of Portuguese territory. It represents an invaluable cultural and symbolic legacy, inviting reflection on the persistence of life and memory in a natural setting of great beauty and tranquility. The Anta is more than a collection of stones; it is an enduring symbol of human presence and its relationship with the sacred in Alentejo's prehistory.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 39.491928574652576,-7.442824619709258
Coordinates DMS: 39°29'30.9"N 07°26'34.2"W
Weather Castelo de Vide
On-duty Pharmacy Castelo de Vide
