{"id":11410,"date":"2023-01-17T09:45:49","date_gmt":"2023-01-17T09:45:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ulysses.travel\/citania-de-briteiros\/"},"modified":"2023-11-20T10:44:00","modified_gmt":"2023-11-20T10:44:00","slug":"citania-de-briteiros","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ulysses.travel\/en\/citania-de-briteiros\/","title":{"rendered":"The Cit\u00e2nia de Briteiros between Guimar\u00e3es and Braga"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Perched on Mount S\u00e3o Rom\u00e3o, between Guimar\u00e3es and Braga, the Cit\u00e2nia de Briteiros is without a doubt one of the most beautiful archaeological sites in the north of the Iberian Peninsula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This impressive fortified city dating back to the Iron Age is well worth a visit. Follow the guide!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83d\udc4d The Captain’s tips \ud83d\udc4d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Want to learn more about Guimar\u00e3es’ history?<\/strong> Captain Ulysses warmly recommends this free tour of the city (in English)<\/a> <\/strong><\/mark>to visit Guimar\u00e3es with a passionate guide. You’re free to choose how much you wish to tip the tour guide at the end of the tour!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Want to know more about Guimar\u00e3es’ top landmarks & monuments?<\/strong> Be sure to check out the Captain’s Guide to Guimar\u00e3es<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Cit\u00e2nia<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Cit\u00e2nia<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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A short history of the Cit\u00e2nia de Briteiros<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

First occupation of the site<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Although archaeologists have found traces of occupation of the site dating back to as early as the first millennium BC (Bronze Age), the Cit\u00e2nia de Briteiros was built much later, between the1st<\/sup> and 2nd<\/sup> century BC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The culture of the castros<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to the remains discovered on site, historians were able to postulate that the Cit\u00e2nia de Briteiros belonged to the culture of the Castros, a civilization that lived in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula from the 9th<\/sup> century BC to the 1st<\/sup> century AD, and known for having built many fortified villages – “castros” – in the region .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to historians, the inhabitants of the Cit\u00e2nia de Briteiros belonged to a Celtic tribe, as attested by triskels, found engraved on monoliths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roman settlers & Romanization<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the 1st<\/sup> century AD, the Cit\u00e2nia de Briteiros was most probably occupied by Roman settlers. Historians have discovered coins bearing the effigy of Augustus and Tiberius, as well as amphorae and pottery typical of ancient Rome. The very organization of the fortified city shows (slight) signs of romanization (street layout, architecture of the houses…)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The end of the Cit\u00e2nia de Briteiros<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At its peak, the Cit\u00e2nia de Briteiros counted between 600 and 1500 inhabitants. Specialists believe that it was subsequently abandoned during the2nd<\/sup> century AD before being briefly occupied again during the Middle Ages, as evidenced by the medieval chapel and the cemetery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discovery of the Cit\u00e2nia de Briteiros<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Cit\u00e2nia de Briteiros was discovered by the Portuguese archaeologist Francisco Martins Sarmento in the 1870s. Sarmento also reconstructed the two dwellings still visible today on the site. New excavations were carried out between the 1930s and 1960s, in the 1970s and again in the 2000s. In 1910, the Cit\u00e2nia de Briteiros was declared a national monument.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visiting the Cit\u00e2nia de Briteiros <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If the Cit\u00e2nia de Briteiros is worth a visit, it is as much for its bucolic setting as for its historical ruins!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An exceptional setting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Perched on the S\u00e3o Rom\u00e3o mountain (491 meters \/ 1610 feet above sea level), the Cit\u00e2nia de Briteiros offers a beautiful panorama of the Ave valley and the Ave river below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Located between the Douro and Minho valleys, the city enjoyed a very favorable geographical situation and was a trading center for the fishermen of the coast and the inhabitants of the mountains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The region, rich in natural and fertile resources, allowed the city to prosper for several centuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Cit\u00e2nia<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Overview of the site<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Surrounded by 3 stone walls, the Cit\u00e2nia de Briteiros occupied a total of 24 hectares \/ 60 acres (only 7 hectares \/ 17 acres have been excavated to date). In the heart of the ramparts, the city, built in granite, followed a 250 meter \/ 270 yard long and 150 meter \/ 165 yard wide oval layout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The city was organized along two main axes and criss-crossed by a multitude of secondary streets. The acropolis was perched on top of Mount S\u00e3o Rom\u00e3o.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About a hundred dwellings were discovered: they were organized in “blocks”. Each residential complex included the dwelling itself as well as annexes (stables, sheds…)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Cit\u00e2nia<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Cit\u00e2nia<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Ruins and remains of the fortified city<\/h3>\n\n\n\n