Castro da Cola: A Fortified Settlement in Ourique, Portugal

Visitor Information

Google Rating: 4.4

Popularity: Low

Google Maps: View on Google Maps

Country: Portugal

Civilization: Unclassified

Remains: Military

History

Castro da Cola is a fortified settlement located in the municipality of Ourique, Portugal. Its origins trace back to prehistoric times, with evidence indicating human presence spanning from the Neolithic period through to the Middle Ages. While the early inhabitants likely established a small fortified community known as a castro, the site later saw significant developments under various civilizations, including the Islamic rulers.

The earliest occupation of the site dates to the late Neolithic or early Chalcolithic, when small communities began to settle the area. This initial phase laid the groundwork for continuous use through the Bronze Age and Iron Age. During the Iron Age, the site experienced one of its most intensive periods of occupation, reflected in the presence of distinctive artifacts such as a short bronze sword with an antenna hilt and ceramic urns, indicating a well-established community.

In the Roman era, Castro da Cola continued to be occupied, although the evidence found—limited to a few ornamental stones and roof tiles—suggests that the area did not undergo full Romanization. After the decline of Roman authority, the settlement was Christianized, signaling a transition aligned with broader religious and cultural shifts in the region.

From the 8th century onwards, the site took on a new identity under Islamic influence. Known in Muslim sources as Marjiq and later referred to as Marachique following the Christian reconquest, Castro da Cola was transformed into a hisn, or small fortress. This period marked the construction of military and urban structures as part of a defensive network aimed at securing both maritime and land frontiers. In the 11th century, the fortress stood at a strategic border zone between the Taifa kingdoms of Seville and Silves, reflecting its importance in regional power struggles. The name “Cola” likely derives from the Arabic “Qal’a,” which means fortress, underscoring the character of the settlement during this time.

The Islamic town was organized into two main sectors: a military area and a larger urban quarter. The fortress served not only defensive purposes but also supported local economic activities such as pastoralism, agriculture, and textile production, evidenced by weaving tools uncovered by archaeologists. Under Almoravid and Almohad rule in the 12th century, it became a municipal seat and was granted a foral, or charter, during the 13th century, indicating administrative significance and integration within the sphere of influence of Silves.

Despite its earlier prominence, the settlement began to decline in the 14th century. By the 15th century, it was abandoned as a municipal center, with administrative functions shifting to the nearby town of Ourique. The fortress, however, maintained military relevance and underwent further modifications, including the maintenance of a bent entrance gate—an architectural feature typical of the region from the 11th century onward.

Historical records mention the ruins from the 16th century, notably by André de Resende in 1573. Over the centuries, the site attracted the attention of scholars such as Manuel do Cenáculo, Gabriel Pereira, and Estácio da Veiga. More systematic archaeological investigations began in the mid-20th century, with Abel Viana’s work between 1958 and 1964 revealing key aspects of the Islamic occupation and prompting a re-evaluation of the site as a Muslim fortress. Later excavations and conservation projects occurred between 1988 and 2005.

Adjacent to the ruins lies the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora da Cola, an important Marian pilgrimage site in the Alentejo region. Local legends add a mystical dimension to the site’s history, including stories of a miraculous image of the Virgin Mary and the ringing of a bell during the Moorish period, which have contributed to the sanctuary’s religious significance. Since 1910, Castro da Cola has been a National Monument and, more recently, management of the site has been entrusted to the municipality of Ourique.

Remains

The fortified settlement of Castro da Cola is positioned on a large schist hill rising about 200 meters above the surrounding landscape. This natural elevation is fortified on three sides by deep ravines and watercourses, including the Barranco do Burdo to the west, Barranco da Horta do Marchecão to the north, and the Mira River to the south. These natural defenses, combined with the hill’s vantage point, offered strategic visual control and protection.

The fortification encircles an irregular polygonal area roughly 330 meters in perimeter, featuring walls built primarily of locally quarried schist stones set with earth mortar. Some segments display opus spicatum, or herringbone masonry, a style adopted in later phases. The walls are reinforced by several square towers and reach thicknesses of about 2.7 meters (12 palmos), constructed through dry laying of slabs combined with earth as a binding material. Around the fortress perimeter, two additional outer defensive lines are arranged without regular re-entrant angles, possibly serving as detached defensive structures similar to ravelins or half-moons.

The main gate is located on the eastern wall and is distinguished by a bent entrance—a design where the passage turns sharply to impede direct access—characteristic of fortifications in this region from the 11th century onward. Today, only the gate’s foundation remains evident, alongside the vestiges of an adjacent tower.

Within the walls, the settlement is divided into two distinct sectors reflecting its dual military and civilian functions. The military quarter centers around a spacious courtyard surrounded by buildings such as warehouses and stables that supported fortress operations. Beyond this area, a narrow passage opens into a larger urban zone, where archaeological evidence reveals two main streets: one running centrally through the settlement and another along the northern wall. Houses arranged around central patios line these streets, and the urban environment included shops, workshops, ovens for baking, wells for water, and at least one large cistern for storage.

Occupations extended beyond the walls, particularly along the slopes descending toward the Mira River and the Marchicão stream. The flat platform currently occupied by the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora da Cola is believed to have once served as the Islamic necropolis, or burial ground, connecting the religious use of the site with its earlier settlement history.

Several earthworks and smaller forts, collectively known as the Castelinhos d’além da Terra do Azinhal, lie near the sanctuary. These features may represent secondary defensive structures associated with the main fortress.

Archaeological finds further illustrate the site’s long history. From the Pre-Roman period, two concave grinding stones and a rounded pestle dating to the late Neolithic or early Chalcolithic reveal early subsistence activities. Iron Age artifacts include a distinctive short bronze sword with antenna-shaped hilts, ceramic urns, and glass and gold beads stylistically linked to Phoenician or Punic origins, demonstrating trade connections or cultural influences.

Finds from Roman times include fragments of a limestone column, dressed stones, thick bricks, imbrices (curved roof tiles), and a decorated neck fragment, although these remain limited and suggest the area was not fully Romanized. The medieval Islamic period has yielded ceramic shards, numerous Muslim funerary inscriptions on tombstones, and implements related to textile manufacture such as spindle needles and lead weights.

The fortress’s walls, aggregated cistern, and stone buildings bear witness to both military and domestic life, with later modifications reflecting changing defensive needs. Some restoration efforts have altered the ruins, including stone accumulations on walls and openings made to remove earth deposits. A detailed topographic survey and cleaning were carried out in 1988, followed by restoration work in 1989 and further excavation and conservation in the early 2000s. Notably, a vaulted chamber with plastered and painted walls once described by the scholar José Leite de Vasconcelos preserves fragments now housed in the Ethnological Museum, demonstrating the settlement’s complex architectural history.

Together, these remains present a layered narrative of human occupation, defensive strategies, economic life, and religious transformation at Castro da Cola.