Centum Cellas
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Centum Cellas | |
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General information | |
Architectural style | Roman |
Location | Belmonte, Castelo Branco District, Portugal |
Coordinates | 40°22′39.5″N 7°20′34″W / 40.377639°N 7.34278°W |
Centum Cellas, also referred to as Centum Cellæ, Centum Celli, or Centum Cœli (and in Portuguese: Centocelas), is a Roman villa rustica that dates back to the 1st century AD, located in the Mount of Santo Antão in Belmonte, Castelo Branco District, Portugal.
History
In the context of the
Structure
The tower-like structure is one of the best preserved Roman monuments in the country. The core building has a rectangular floor plan (13.3 m × 15.5 m) and was two-storey; the second floor is probably a medieval addition. It has multiple entrances with different sizes. Two friezes separate the floors. The tower is 12 m high and originally stood in a building complex (the villa rustica). On three sides it was surrounded by extensions, of which only the foundations are visible. The sides were surrounded by rows of three chambers. At the front was the pillared portico of an open courtyard. The construction is of blocks (granite), which is quite unusual in Europe and reminiscent of Syria and North Africa. The position of the outer openings was dominated by the view that results from this point, located on a Roman road on the one kilometer distant confluence of the rivers Zêzere and Gaia.
Listing
Centum Cellas is listed as a National Monument by the Portuguese Government under the decree nº 14 425, of 15 October 1927, published in the Government's Diary nº 136.[3]
Myths
Much mystery surrounds the function this tower served, having fomented many folk tales and theories throughout the centuries. One of the traditions claims that it was used as a prison. Regarding its primitive function, it is believed that it could have been a prætorium (a Roman military camp). Meanwhile, several archeological prospection campaigns in the surrounding areas, carried out during the 1960s and 1990s, indicate that the tower was most likely a villa, being an integral part of the pars urbana. Excavations are still ongoing.
See also
References
- ISBN 0-500-40035-0
- ^ Shepard, Robert. 1993. Ancient Mining. London: Elsevier Applied Science.
- ^ "Centum Cellas". Direção-Geral do Património Cultural.
- Pinho Leal, Augusto Soares d’Azevedo Barbosa de. Portugal antigo e moderno: diccionario geographico, estatistico, chorographico, heraldico, archeologico, historico, biographico e etymologico de todas as cidades, villas e freguezias de Portugal e de grande número de aldeias… (12 vols.). Lisboa: 1872 e segs.