Category: Archaeology > Necropolis
District: Viana do Castelo > Ponte de Lima > Refóios do Lima
The Penedo de São Simão stands in the locality of Refóios do Lima, belonging to the municipality of Ponte de Lima, in the district of Viana do Castelo. This location is set within a predominantly natural environment, characterized by the presence of granitic formations and the serenity of the Minho rural landscape. Its position offers an atmosphere of quietude and a unique perspective on the surroundings, inviting contemplation of the verdant valley and the surrounding elevations.
On this prominent boulder, carved into the rock itself, various graves are found. These marks excavated in the granite are a testament to ancestral funerary practices, revealing how ancient communities related to the territory and chose locations with special significance for their rites of passage. The simplicity and robustness of these rock-carved graves lend the Penedo de São Simão an aura of mystery and a deep connection to the region's remote past.
The shapes of these rock cavities, sometimes with contours that adapt to the human body, suggest a use linked to burial rituals from distant epochs. They are, therefore, a material legacy of a history that precedes most written records, offering a window into the lives and beliefs of populations that inhabited these lands in bygone times.
The Penedo de São Simão is more than a set of vestiges; it is a meeting point between geology and human history. The impressiveness of the granite rock, shaped by nature over millennia, serves as a basis for human intervention that harmonizes with the environment. The surrounding vegetation and the silence felt at the site contribute to an experience of immersion in nature and time.
The atmosphere that permeates the Penedo de São Simão invites reflection on the resilience of stone and the transience of human existence. It is a space where wild nature and the presence of man intertwine, creating a scene of singular beauty and profound symbolism, remaining as a place of memory and contemplation.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 41.78360777,-8.56619232
Coordinates DMS: 41°47'1.0"N 08°33'58.3"W
Weather Refóios do Lima
On-duty Pharmacy Refóios do Lima
