Category: Religious Architecture > Sanctuary
District: Vila Real > Vila Real > Panóias > Silveirinha
The Rock Sanctuary of Panóias is located in the village of Panóias, a tranquil hamlet in the municipality of Vila Real. Specifically, it is found in the Silveirinha area, a few kilometres from the city of Vila Real. This rural and serene environment is characterized by its natural landscape, which provides a unique setting for this historical monument.
Dating from the late 2nd and early 3rd century AD, the Sanctuary of Panóias is a remarkable testimony to the Roman presence in the region. This site, also known as Fragas de Panóias, was commissioned by a Roman senator, Gaius Calpurnius Rufinus. Due to its historical and archaeological importance, the sanctuary was classified as a National Monument in 1910.
The sanctuary is composed of three large granite rock formations, where various cavities of different sizes and also access stairways were skillfully excavated. Each of these rock outcrops played a specific role in the rituals performed here. Traces of small temples that were an integral part of this sacred complex can still be observed. The cavities served different ritual purposes, from the slaughter of victims to their incineration and purification.
One of the most distinctive aspects of Panóias are the various inscriptions engraved on the rocks. There are three in Latin and one in Greek, which are precious sources of information about the rites practised there, the gods to whom they were dedicated, and the identity of those who dedicated them. These texts reveal that the sanctuary was dedicated to chthonic, or "severe," deities, with particular emphasis on the cult of Serapis, a deity of Eastern origin. It is also possible that the site simultaneously housed cults to indigenous entities of the region.
At the Sanctuary of Panóias, initiation rites took place with a well-defined order and progression. These rituals, of strong oriental influence, included several stages: the sacrifice of animals, the offering of their blood, the incineration of parts of the victims, and the consumption of meat, followed by moments of revelation and purification. The highest rocks of the sanctuary were stages for culminating acts of initiation, symbolizing death, burial, and resurrection, in a process of spiritual transformation for the initiates.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 41.283181525714, -7.6821157314286
Coordinates DMS: 41°16'59.5"N 07°40'55.6"W
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