Travel around 2 be happy: Portugal: Caminho dos Olhos d'água (PR5)

Wednesday, 4th May 2022

PR5 is a 9.75km circular pedestrian route that is very easy to do and grants you a continuous view of Marvão's castle. It takes around 3h to complete, plus time spent in the Roman City of Ammaia.

credits: www.marvao.pt

The route starts in Portagem, the village that sleeps at the feet of the hilltop where Marvão stands. We found the old fountain where clothes were once washed. The washing stones are still in situ.

Along river Sever, passing the 16th century bridge.

The dam that allows the river to be used as a pool in the Summer.

The Medieval Toll Tower.

The markings are fairly easy to follow. The route is lined with oaks, elder trees, ashes, willows, chestnut trees, fig trees and olive trees. Jorge's parents walked this route in mid-Summer and they managed to eat from nature: figs, grapes, apples, pears. It is such an abundant valley.

Marvão on the hilltop.

Roman city of Ammaia

This flourishing Roman town acquired civitas statute around 44/45 AD and municipium statute during the 1st century. There was plenty of reconstruction and restoration work in the 4th century but the city fell in decline and depopulated between the 5th and 9th century, as Marvão's castle construction began making it a more favoured settlement.

Ammaia would have spanned a 25 hectares site. A model of what is thought the city looked like is at the entry of the museum.

Not much of the site is excavated and the access to the ruins is free.

South Gateway

Two towers flanked the entrance to the city with a public square.

The granite floor slabs are huge!

In 1710, a monumental arch that was still intact was removed from the gate and taken to Castelo de Vide.

credits: Museu Cidade de Ammaia.

Forum and Temple

Baths

Very difficult to understand the different rooms of the baths.

There is also a museum with artefacts that is worth visiting, it has an entrance fee but I no longer remember how much it was and I cannot find it online. I particularly liked the bottom vessels which have a very unusual but modern looking shapes.

São Salvador de Aramenha is a very quiet little village.

It is impossible to come this way and not take a photo of the 'corseted ashes'. The ashes have a band of lime painted on, apparently to avoid the ants climbing and damaging the trees.

Pass a water fountain.

And a noria, a hydropowered scoop wheel used to lift water from a well, an ancient sign of Islamic occupation of the Iberian Peninsula.

Poppies galore.

One ancient tree that refuses to die.

This area was once known for the production of lime. It was such a big affair that there his a fairly long road lined with lime kilns. They are all constructed the same way: round, with a whole on the top and a very narrow opening on the side.

Limestone was collected from a nearby quarry.

Only one was cleaned, the others had a fig tree inside. I can imagine how hot it gets in it in the peak of the Summer. I bet they produce the most delicious figs!