Castle of Freixo de Numão

Castle of Freixo de Numão
Castelo de Freixo de Numão
Guarda, Pinhal Interior Norte, Centro in Portugal
A view of the old castle on the Monte de São Gabriel
Coordinates	41.072387°N 7.191814°W / 41.072387; -7.191814
Type	Castle
Site information
Owner	Portuguese Republic
Operator	DRCNorte (Dispatch 829/2009, Diário da República, Série 2, 163, 24 August 2009)
Open to the public	Public
Site history
Built	3rd century B.C.

The Castle of Freixo de Numão (Portuguese: Castelo de Freixo de Numão) is a Portuguese medieval castle in civil parish of Freixo de Numão, in the municipality of Vila Nova de Foz Côa, in the district of Guarda.

History

A trail along the outer wall of the castle structures

Overlooking the Viega valley from the outer wall

One of the individual "huts" and semi-circular structures

The first time the hilltop was occupied occurred sometime in the 3rd millennium, from the early Chalcolithic to the late Bronze Age.^[1] The oldest structures on the hill date from this period, which was followed by a stage of important construction sometime in the middle period. This period was responsible for the group of edifices and courtyards, platforms, slopes and ramps.^[1]

Sometime between 1300 and 1200 B.C., the monument was reduced to stone, either intentionally or ritualized, and left abandoned, in particular the outer zones.^[1]

In 1987, A.N. Sá Coixão planted eucalyptus in the locality, following several surveys and field studies. But, two years later, Susana Oliveira Jorge initiated excavations in the locality.^[1]

The castle was transferred to the management of the IPPAR, by CELBI (STORA) in the 1990s.^[1] This move lead to the 28 September 1998 dispatch to begin a process of classification of the site, supported by Susana Oliveira Jorge.^[1]

In 2004, further archaeological excavations and consolidation of the structures began in 2004, with construction of reception/interpretative centre built to allow visitors to visit the site. The site was open to the public in 2007.^[1] Meanwhile, on 19 March 2010, the monument reached the classification of Monumento de interesse público (MIP), following dispatch 219/2010 (published in the Diário da República, Série 2, 55). It was rectified on 15 April, under article 734/2010 (published in the Diário da República, Série 2, 73) and classified as a Sítio de interesse público (SIP).^[1]

Architecture

The castle is implanted strategically on a hilltop oriented to the east, over the Veiga valley, and extends to the south, along the geological fault of Vilariça.^[1] The old castle dominates the landscape on Monte de São Gabriel and, in the background the Meseta and Serra da Marofa.^[1] In most directions, except the north and northwest, the hilltop has natural defense conditions.^[1]

At the limit is a courtyard constructed in masonry schist, consolidated mortar, with various openings and small random, semi-circular structures.^[1] In the interior, there is a circular platform consisting of various, small stone structures. Outside the enclosure are small walls and ramps in clay and shale that take advantage of rocky outcrops.^[1]

References

Notes

1. Filipe, Ana (2007), SIPA (ed.), Povoado do Castelo Velho de Freixo de Numão (IPA.00020584/PT0109140601744) (in Portuguese), Lisbon, Portugal: SIPA – Sistema de Informação para o Património Arquitectónico, retrieved 7 April 2017

Sources

• Coixão, António do Nascimento Sá (2000), Carta Arqueológica do Concelho de Vila Nova de Foz Côa (in Portuguese) (II ed.), Câmara Municipal de Vila Nova de Foz Côa
• Jorge, Susana Oliveira (2007), Castelo Velho de Freixo de Numão, Guia (in Portuguese), IGESPAR, I.P.
• Jorge, Susana Oliveira (2005), "O monumento pré-histórico do Castelo Velho de Freixo de Numão", in A.C.D.R. de Freixo de Numão (ed.), O Circuito Arqueológico de Freixo de Numão, Guia do Visitante (in Portuguese)