Arnóia Castle, Celorico de Basto, Portugal

The Castle of Arnóia is a medieval castle in civil parish of Arnóia, municipality of Celorico de Basto, the district of Braga. It was built in the late 11th or early 12th century, probably to defend the local monastery. The abandonment occurred from 1717, when elites left the small village of Basto, moving the seat of the county to the parish of Britelo, where today is located Celorico de Basto.

Today there are four defensive elements survived: the watchtower (whose rooftop and set of battlements were reconstructed in the 20th century), the quadrangular tower, a single door and the tank.

References:

portoenorte.pt

User Reviews

David W (2 years ago)
Very nice medieval castle in attractive half abandoned village. Good interpretative centre, great views over the surrounding landscape.

EdgarTxr (2 years ago)
This place has magnificent view. The castle sits at the top of a hill and you can access the top of the tower. It is a very nice sightseeing place, worth the visit.

Carlos Ieite (2 years ago)
Top

sara safavi (3 years ago)
Amazing view, and castle was open and free

José Gonçalves (3 years ago)
The views are breathe taking

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Photo from Flickr, copyright larrywkoester

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Monte d'Accoddi

Monte d"Accoddi is a Neolithic archaeological site in northern Sardinia, located in the territory of Sassari. The site consists of a massive raised stone platform thought to have been an altar. It was constructed by the Ozieri culture or earlier, with the oldest parts dated to around 4,000–3,650 BC.

The site was discovered in 1954 in a field owned by the Segni family. No chambers or entrances to the mound have been found, leading to the presumption it was an altar, a temple or a step pyramid. It may have also served an observational function, as its square plan is coordinated with the cardinal points of the compass.

The initial Ozieri structure was abandoned or destroyed around 3000 BC, with traces of fire found in the archeological evidence. Around 2800 BC the remains of the original structure were completely covered with a layered mixture of earth and stone, and large blocks of limestone were then applied to establish a second platform, truncated by a step pyramid (36 m × 29 m, about 10 m in height), accessible by means of a second ramp, 42 m long, built over the older one. This second temple resembles contemporary Mesopotamian ziggurats, and is attributed to the Abealzu-Filigosa culture.

Archeological excavations from the chalcolithic Abealzu-Filigosa layers indicate the Monte d"Accoddi was used for animal sacrifice, with the remains of sheep, cattle, and swine recovered in near equal proportions. It is among the earliest known sacrificial sites in Western Europe.

The site appears to have been abandoned again around 1800 BC, at the onset of the Nuragic age.

The monument was partially reconstructed during the 1980s. It is open to the public and accessible by the old route of SS131 highway, near the hamlet of Ottava. It is 14,9 km from Sassari and 45 km from Alghero. There is no public transportation to the site. The opening times vary throughout the year.

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