From Roman shrine to Islamic monastery
Since the XVI century that the existence of a Roman sanctuary dedicated to the Sun and Moon on the coast of Sintra is known, but only in 2008 the team from the Archaeological Museum of São Miguel de Odrinhas excavated the area where the shrine was said to be. It was! But there were more treasures than expected!
The 2015 campaign, from which I took some photographs published here, continued to reveal aspects of the excavation of the ruins on the mouth of the Colares River, at Praia das Maçãs (Apple’s Beach) so called because of the apples brought there by the river flowing through the orchards in the Colares’ valley.
The Roman sanctuary, which Francisco d’Ollanda mentionned in his book “Da Fábrica que falece à cidade de Lisboa” from 1571, along with with a drawing of the structures that he saw, was firstly mentionned by Valentim Fernandes in 1505 and between 1540 and 1550 by both André de Resende and Francisco d’Ollanda. According to scholars, the identification of those ruins in the sixteenth century corresponds to the first archaeological discovery made in Portugal. The importance of the site was widely recognized at the time, becoming a must-visit spot for scholars, Portuguese and foreign, during the Renaissance.
Unfortunately, the exact location of the site was lost, and the fact that no structures were to be found contributed to a long period of confusion that led to multiple suggestions about the exact location of the Roman temple to the Sun and Moon and even the belief, by some, that it was all fantasy. Still, many studies pointed to the hill at the mouth of the Colares river as the logical point for such a structure.
The micro-toponyms “Alto da Vigia” — High Lookout — and “Alconchel” (from the Islamic, place of stones) related to that point suggested a high-vantage point, which makes sense as from the area it is possible to view the Atlantic Ocean and the mouth of the Colares River, which was, back in time, sailable all the way up to Colares. Legend says that a Viking king sailing the coast entered the river and attacked the castle in Colares. Having a lookout where the Roman shrine is would be a good way to control whoever sailed the Colares river…
When the team from the Archaeological Museum of São Miguel de Odrinhas received permission to go ahead with excavations, in 2008, on the small promontory on the left bank of the Colares river, they had high hopes regarding the Roman sanctuary, but were not prepared for what was there. A modern watchtower was visible, suggesting the practical reasons for human presence in that exact spot, but once the intervention started the team could confirm the existence of a Roman sanctuary, along with the foundations of a watchtower datable to the XVI century. Furthermore, while expanding the excavation area the team found traces of the Islamic period that were not known. The structure, which is still being studied, corresponds to a “ribat” — monastery, with multiple rooms and a mihrab oriented Southeast, towards Mecca: a small mosque. Besides the buildings, a necropolis area with several tombs was also identified.
The continued occupation of the area demonstrates the importance that specific point on the mouth of the Colares river had to the different occupants of the area throughout the times. The Roman shrine itself was also of great importance, as suggest the altars (aras) identified, placed there in favor of the health of the Emperor and the Empire eternity. Those aras are now at the Archaeological Museum of São Miguel de Odrinhas, which has a unique collection of Roman artifacts that help to understand the History of the region and the presence of the Roman Empire in Europe. The Museum is, according to some, one of the oldest in Europe. Apparently, Francisco d’Ollanda began to collect the first Roman stones there, against the walls of São Miguel de Odrinhas chapel, in the XVI century, which today is within the area of the modern Museum.
The team from the Archaeological Museum of São Miguel de Odrinhas continues in 2016 to excavate the past on the mouth of the Colares river. If you’re wandering around the Atlantic coast of Sintra, an area which I call the Atlantic Realm, and where I lead photo tours, pay them and the site a visit. Afterwards take some time to visit the Museum.
