Castro of Cidadelhe

The Castro of Cidadelhe is a Portuguese castro in civil parish of Cidadelhe, in the municipality of Mesão Frio.

History

Cidadelhe was a fortified settlement of a proto-historic nature, later occupied by Roman and Medieval residents.
The settlement belonged to a medieval administrative territory conforming to a Suevic parish, with a royal congregation under the order of Ordoño II of León and part of the territory of Portucale.

Architecture

The castro is located in an isolated rural environment on a hilltop.
Two lines of walls encircle the castle and roadways/paths, composed of schist rock. In the interior of the ruins are several remains of residences, of a circular design, excavated by recent archaeologists.
Archaeological excavations under the direction of A. Coelho, F. da Silva, A. Baptista Lopes and Manuel Tuna, were attempted into two sectors: one elevated zone, defined by the first series of walls; and the second, lower, new the second series walls.