Antequera Dolmens Site, Antequera, Spain

The Antequera Dolmens Site is a cultural heritage ensemble comprising three prehistorical monuments: the Dolmen of Menga, Dolmen of Viera and Tholos of El Romeral. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 2016 together with two natural mountain features (the Peña de los Enamorados and El Torcal).

Built during the Neolithic and the Bronze Age out of large stone blocks that form chambers and spaces with lintelled roofs (Menga and Viera) or false cupolas (El Romeral), and used for rituals and funerary purposes, the Antequera megaliths are widely recognised examples of European Megalithism. The megalithic structures are presented in the guise of the natural landscape (buried beneath earth tumuli) and their orientation is based on two natural monuments: La Peña de los Enamorados and El Torcal. These are two indisputable visual landmarks within the property.

The Neolithic Dolmen of Menga represents one of the most important masterpiece of megalithic architecture (Atlantic tradition) based on post-and-lintel construction with an earthen covering, notable for its enormous dimensions that push the size possible in a corridor sepulcher by incorporating the unprecedented solution of intermediate pillars; likewise, the later, Chalcolithic tholos (beehive tomb) of El Romeral complements the two dolmens with its corridor and false dome of drystone masonry (Mediterranean tradition).

References:

UNESCO

User Reviews

ian henden (2 years ago)
Great ancient monoliths, a visit to the centre helps show on video how the mound was made, fascinating piece of ancient history.

Letty Ranshuysen (2 years ago)
This was a big disapointment. No English information and the site was without any historical atmosphere. Very cold and modern.

Eric Cunningham (2 years ago)
It's not that roomy inside so people can easily get in the way of photos. The park is free but quite hard to access by foot and it is in the town of Antequera which is not ready for tourists. However, the views were pretty good and you can see a big mountain called something but i forgot. You can see the motorway though.

D S (2 years ago)
Outstanding example of historic preservation and ancient megalithic. It's free along with Viera and To metal nearby. Closed Mondays. Easy access. Read up beforehand on this fascinating site.

Martha (2 years ago)
Fantastic monuments which are amazing when you consider when they were built. Free entry, English leaflet and helpful staff. However the information was so dry, technical and academic. I could not care a less about the dimensions in metres or the names of the academics who worked on them. I want it to be brought to life with contemporary historical information and a wider context with comparisons to similar monuments in Europe. The info reads like it is written by academics - fo academics. It is a missed opportunity to engage your audience.

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At the end of the 13th century the Liechtensteins, originally from Styria, became holders of all of Lednice and of nearby Mikulov. They gradually acquired land on both sides of the Moravian-Austrian border. Members of the family most often found fame in military service, during the Renaissance they expanded their estates through economic activity. From the middle of the 15th century members of the family occupied the highest offices in the land. However, the family’s position in Moravia really changed under the brothers Karel, Maximilian, and Gundakar of Liechtenstein. Through marriage Karel and Maximilian acquired the great wealth of the old Moravian dynasty of the Černohorskýs of Boskovice. At that time the brothers, like their father and grandfather, were Lutheran, but they soon converted to Catholicism, thus preparing the ground for their rise in politics. Particularly Karel, who served at the court of Emperor Rudolf II, became hetman of Moravia in 1608, and was later raised to princely status by King Matyas II and awarded the Duchy of Opava.

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In the mid-18th century the chateau was again renovated, and in 1815 its front tracts that had been part of the Baroque chateau were removed.

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