Silves Municipal Council has signed a protocol with the owner of the land containing the Amorosa Necropolis, in the parish of São Bartolomeu de Messines, aimed at safeguarding and enhancing a site considered to be of “high relevance to the territory integrated within the Algarvensis Geopark”.
Located in the Pedreiras area, around one kilometre from the rural Algarvian village of Amorosa, the archaeological site is described as being of “great scientific importance”. It consists of 18 graves carved into two outcrops of red Silves sandstone and is believed to have served as a burial ground for a rural community that lived nearby during the Early Middle Ages, between the 6th and 7th centuries AD.
Under the agreement, the municipality intends to improve access to the site, provide interpretative information about the necropolis, and reinforce safety and accessibility conditions. These measures are designed to enable visits and study by researchers, schools, families, visitors, and the general public. According to Silves Council, the initiative also strengthens the integration of the municipality within the Algarvensis Geopark, a UNESCO Global Geopark, with a focus on the protection and promotion of historical and cultural heritage.
The project is aligned with several of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, notably SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 11.4 (the protection of cultural and natural heritage), and SDG 17, which promotes effective partnerships and the sharing of scientific knowledge.
“The enhancement of the Amorosa Necropolis embodies one of the pillars of the sustainable development strategy of the Municipality of Silves and the Algarvensis Geopark,” the local authority said, highlighting the balance between preservation and public access to heritage.
The necropolis occupies an extensive sandstone outcrop at the base of the south-facing slope of Pedreiras hill, which rises to around 200 metres above sea level. Situated a few hundred metres from the village of Amorosa, the site is a prominent feature in the local landscape and easily identifiable on the horizon.
The funerary complex comprises two distinct groups of graves: Group A, with 13 tombs, and Group B, containing five, currently separated by a track. The graves vary in orientation between north-west–south-east and north-east–south-west, although an alignment close to north–south is the most common. The south-facing exposure of the sandstone outcrops is thought to have influenced both the orientation and construction of the burial pits.
Each grave features a lowered rim or collar designed to hold a stone lid, either monolithic or made up of several elements. The tombs measure between 1.60 and 2.12 metres in length, 0.37 to 0.67 metres in width, and 0.29 to 0.51 metres in depth. Oval ground plans are the most common, although trapezoidal and rectangular forms have also been identified.
Archaeologists believe the necropolis originated from the nearby settlement of Amorosa, reflecting a rural community with roots in the Roman-period societies of this inland area of the western Algarve. The funerary monuments are commonly attributed to the Visigothic period, dating from the 6th to the 8th centuries, and are thought to reflect the influence of the novel populations that spread across the Iberian Peninsula during the Early Middle Ages.
Source: Sul Informação
