The humble town of Condeixa was built from the ruins of the Roman villa of Conimbriga on the plateau overlooking the Mouros valley, in fertile lands cross-crossed with irrigation channels. In the eleventh century, Condeixa and its lands were donated to the friars of the Monastery of Santa Cruz in Coimbra, which was responsible for its settlement and excavation. This marked the founding of Condeixa. However, the name “Condeixa-a-Nova” (New Condeixa), was not used until August 1219. In the thirteenth century, the town covered no more than 800 square metres. Father António Carvalho da Costa wrote that Condeixa-a-Nova was first settled by a couple called Outeiro. King Manuel I settled various properties on his cousin, Jorge de Lencastre—illegitimate son of King John II and Ana de Mendonça and Lord of Aveiro and Duke of Coimbra—including Condeixa-a-Nova and the adjoining lands. In 1514, Manuel granted the town a charter and in the same year it became a judicial district.
CONIMBRIGA – Condeixa-a-Nova, Portugal
- Monographic Museum of Conimbriga – National Museum
- Roman ruins of Conimbriga – National Museum
- PO.RO.S –Museo Multimedia Portugal Romano en Sicó –Museo Municipal
Monographic Museum of Conimbriga –National Museum
Permanent exhibition
The Monographic Museum of Conimbriga houses the ruins of the Roman city. There is a range of collections illustrating the historical development of the site from the end of the second millennium BCE to the sixth century CE. Conimbriga is the most important archaeological site from the Roman period in Portugal and also the most visited. It has been a listed national monument since 1910
Set on a plateau protected by natural defences, the urban nucleus that formed the origins of Conimbriga was developed from the late Bronze Age on (ninth century BCE). In the second century BCE, the village was conquered by the Romans, reaching its full splendour in the first centuries of the Common Era.
Affected by the deep political and administrative crisis of the last centuries of the Empire, Conimbriga suffered the consequences of barbarian invasions. In 465 and 468, the city was sacked by the Suebi, accentuating the decline of urban life, which continued until the site was finally abandoned in the Middle Ages.
Most of the ruins excavated date from the Roman Era. Visitors can view the remains of numerous public and private buildings and constructions: the forum, the baths, the aqueduct, the amphitheatre, shops and workshops, as well as luxurious private residences, among which the most important are the magnificent Casa dos Repuxos (House of the Fountains), with waterworks in the gardens at the centre of the peristyled courtyard, beautiful floor mosaics in geometric and figurative patterns and painted and moulded cladding.
Founded in 1962, the Monographic Museum of Conimbriga is run by the Institute of Museums and Conservation. Its mission is to manage the ruins of the Roman city, foster their public display and continue archaeological investigation of the site. The permanent exhibition contains only items found in Conimbriga and is divided into two blocks. In the first block, several hundreds objects are on display which show the many facets of the everyday life of the inhabitants of the Roman city (coinage, industrial and commercial activities, recreation, etc.). The second block contains three rooms dedicated to public architecture, private architecture and religious worship.
Conímbriga
3150-220 Condeixa-a-Velha
GPS Coordinates:
Latitude 40.0983494
Longitude -8.4924453
http://www.conimbriga.gov.pt
Phone: +351 239 941 177
infogeral@conimbriga.pt
Timetable
- From Monday to Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Closed: January 1, Easter Sunday, and May and December 25.
- Guardianship: General Directorate of Cultural Heritage
Roman ruins of Conimbriga – National Museum
Although the site at Conimbriga was probably inhabited from the Neolithic period, the earliest evidence of human settlement dates from the Copper and Bronze Ages. The Celts are known to have inhabited the area, as the name ending in briga clearly attests. Conimbriga was therefore already a settlement when the Romans arrived in 138 BCE and took over the oppidum.
The ruins of Conimbriga, the Monographic Museum built in the vicinity and the castellón of Alcabideque constitute an important archaeological complex, which allow us to reconstruct an important cell of the great Roman Empire. It forms one apex of a great triangle of Roman heritage in Portugal, along with Mirobriga (Santiago do Cacém) and Tongobriga (Freixo, Marco de Canaveses). The grandeur and practicality of Roman architecture is well represented in Conimbriga, as is the dominance of Roman civilisation, which affected every detail of everyday life. Although the site was inhabited from earlier times, Conimbriga and most of the remaining buildings date from the time of Emperor Augustus (first century BCE – first century CE).
Begun in 1928, the archaeological excavations unearthed a very significant part of the original urban area, allowing visitors to the ruins to see the painstaking way the town was planned, with all needs catered to: the forum, the aqueduct, the commercial, industrial and residential neighbourhoods, an inn, several baths, the amphitheatre and the defensive walls bordering the city. One highlight is a neighbourhood of rich noble homes, standing in stark contrast to the insulae of the plebs, for the complexity of their construction and their decorative finery. The most outstanding of these mansions is the “House of the Fountains”, which has a large courtyard with a garden, surrounded by a peristyle, paved with coloured mosaics, preserved in situ, with mythological and geometric motifs and other designs that simply depict real everyday life.
Conímbriga
3150-220 Condeixa-a-Velha
GPS Coordinates:
Latitude 40.0983494
Longitude -8.4924453
http://www.conimbriga.gov.pt
Phone: +351 239 941 177
infogeral@conimbriga.pt
Timetable
- From Monday to Sunday, from 10 am to 7 pm
- Closed: January 1, Easter Sunday, and May and December 25.
- Guardianship: General Directorate of Cultural Heritage
PO.RO.S – Museo Multimedia Portugal Romano en Sicó –Museo Municipal
Permanent exhibition
About 2,000 years ago, the Romans arrived to the lands of Sicó. At the edge of the Roman Empire, Conimbriga has become a truly romanized city.
The PO.RO.S – Portugal Roman Museum of Sicó is a trip to the Roman presence in the Sicó region, which provides information on the encounter of cultures that have shaped the history of the territory. Technology stimulates the senses and gives to the exhibition a lively and dynamic character, able to combine knowledge and entertainment, which contributes to the preservation and divulgation of the historical memory of Romanization. The PO.RO.S is an attractive and innovative space, which takes us on an adventure to the Romanization memory and the legacy that survive until today.
Quinta da São Tomé, Avª. Dos Bombeiros Voluntários
3150-160 Condeixa-a-Nova
GPS Coordinates:
Latitude 40.1118871
Longitude -8.4937507
www.poros.pt
Phone: +351 239 949 122
info@poros.pt
Timetable
Summer
- April-September: Tuesday to Sunday: 10.00 – 19.00h
Winter
- October-March: Tuesday to Sunday 10.00 – 18.00h.
Tourist Office
Civic Center of Condeixa-a-Nova
Praça do Município
3150-113 Condeixa-a-Nova
GPS Coolers:
Latitude 40.1128824
Longitude -8.5007905
www.cm-condeixa.pt
Phone: +351 239 940 143
turismo@cm-condeixa.pt
Timetable
- From Monday to Friday: 10h00 – 13h00 | 14h00 – 18h00
- Saturday and Sunday: 10h00 – 17h00
LOCATION
The town of Condeixa-a-Nova stands on the coastal strip of the central region of Portugal, approximately 200 km north of Lisbon, 120 km south of Porto and just 10 km from the city of Coimbra, the largest city in the central region. It borders the municipalities of Coimbra to the north; Miranda do Corvo and Penela to the east; Penela and Soure to the south, and Soure and Montemor-o-Velho, to the west.
In general, the town enjoys good communications. The A1 motorway between Lisbon and Porto passes next to Condeixa, with a junction very close to the centre of the municipality. The N347 provides good connections to Penela, and a new toll motorway, the A13-1, connects Condeixa to Tomar (to the south), Coimbra (to the north) and Miranda do Corvo and Lousã.
Figueira da Foz and its beaches are a relatively short distance via the national road or the A14 motorway north of Coimbra, Also within easy reach is the Serra da Lousã, with its slate villages, and its magnificent forests and scenery, which can be accessed from Lousã and Miranda do Corvo (N342 or A13-1) or Penela, Espinhal and Castanheira de Pera (N347).
Rail lines running north and west are also just a short distance away, with an interconnection at the station of Coimbra.