Lamego Castle Interpretation Center / Porta dos Figos Archaeological Site

Category: Civil Architecture > Museum

District: Viseu > Lamego > Lamego > Almacave

Location

The Lamego Castle Interpretive Centre / Porta dos Figos Archaeological Nucleus is located in the heart of the historic Castle Quarter, in the Almacave area, in Lamego. Its strategic location integrates it into the city's ancient urban fabric and places it in close proximity to the Castle and the Cistern, essential elements of the area's heritage complex.

A Journey Through Time

The Porta dos Figos Archaeological Nucleus invites visitors on a true journey through Lamego's timeline, revealing the city's evolution over more than two thousand years. On site, it is possible to observe the various superimposed layers of occupation, each telling a part of the urban history.

Among the unearthed vestiges, residential occupation signs from the Roman (1st to 5th centuries) and Suebic-Visigothic (5th to 7th centuries) periods stand out, an era when Lamego became an episcopal see. Subsequently, the area transformed into a cemetery (9th to 11th centuries), which was later abandoned to make way for the construction of the city's new fortified wall (12th to 13th centuries) and the housing that today defines the urbanism of the Castle Quarter.

Testimonies from the Past

Inside the Nucleus, a well-designed route allows visitors to carefully observe the archaeological structures. The experience is enriched by interpretive elements, including a video projection that contextualizes the discoveries.

A collection of objects recovered from the site is on display, illustrating the daily life of the communities that inhabited this space. Among these, a significant Roman coin hoard, dated to the 4th century, stands out, along with ceramic pieces, glass, and other artifacts. An interactive screen also offers the opportunity to explore detailed information about the ancient cemetery and bioanthropological data of the individuals buried there.

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