Fortaleza de Faro / Muralhas de Faro

Fortification - Roman Period, Medieval Islamic Period, Middle Ages, Modern Age e Contemporary Period (2995)
Since the Roman period that the city of Faro held an important role in both administration and sea routes. Faro's walls are of oval shape, enclosing an area of around 7 hectares (17 acres). This fortified structure has a late-Roman style, with constant stages of reconstruction and restructuring that show Umayyad, Byzantine and Visigothic influences. Two gates are preserved from the Islamic period (emirate/caliphate, 9th to 11th century), the Arco da Vila and Arco do Repouso. After the city was conquered in the 13th century, the Islamic alcazaba/Christian castle was located in the south-eastern edge of the walled enclosure, which is the current building of the Antiga Fábrica da Cerveja da Portugália (Portugália's Old Beer Factory - CNS 12635). During the Modern period, several projects for the reconstruction and adaptation of the walls to the new defensive technologies were developed, namely for the use of artillery. The objective was to protect the city against corsair attacks and strengthening the walls during the Restoration War (1640 - 1668). The modern walls had five bastions and two half bastions. By the end of the 18th century and during the 19th century, the city of Faro loses its military importance, with several of its walls being either demolished or integrated into private buildings, both residential and industrial.

Overview

Information and materials related to the archaeological works on the Faro Walls are available at the Municipal Museum. This site is integrated in the Umayyad Route in the Algarve.

Visit conditions

Free entrance

Timetables

Documents

    How to get there? Best practices

    Best practices

    Good practices when visiting archaeological sites

    To visit an archaeological site is to connect with our origins, to understand our path and evolution as a species integrated in the environment, and to respect and safeguard our heritage so that future generations can also visit and enjoy it.

    Walking the paths and enjoying the structures and archaeological pieces that survived over time, fosters the understanding of what is different, but also of what is common among different populations: basically, what identifies us as Homo Sapiens.

    More than just vestiges and ruins of the past, archaeological sites showcase our capacity for creative thought, adaptation, interconnection, comprehension and resilience. Without these traits we would not have been successful as cultural beings participating in an ongoing evolutionary process. These sites also allow to consider choices made in the past thus contributing for decisions in the present to be made with greater awareness and knowledge.

    Archaeological sites are unique and irreplaceable. These sites are fragile resources vulnerable to changes driven by human development. The information they keep, if destroyed, can never be recovered again.

    As such, the Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage (DGPC) invites all visitors to enjoy the beauty and authenticity of these sites, while helping to preserve them for future generations by adopting the following set of good practices:

    • Respect all signs; 
    • Do not try to access fenced areas; 
    • Do not climb, sit or walk on archaeological structures and remains; 
    • Respect areas where archaeological excavations are being carried out, not disturbing them; 
    • Do not collect materials or sediments;
    • Do not write or make graffiti on archaeological structures; 
    • Put the garbage in appropriate containers. If none exist, take the garbage with you until you find a suitable container; 
    • Leave the archaeological site as you found it; 
    • Do not drive bicycles or motor vehicles over archaeological sites; 
    • Respect and protect the plants and animals that live in the areas surrounding archaeological sites;
    • Report signs of vandalism or destruction to DGPC or Regional Directorates of Culture (DRC);
    • Share the visiting experience and the archaeological sites, as a way of raising awareness to their preservation and making them better known;
    • Do not buy archaeological materials and report to public security authorities, DGPC or DRC, if you suspect that archaeological materials may be for sale.

    Further information:

    AIA / ATTA (2013) – Guide to best practices for archaeological tourism. 

    Raposo, J. (2016) – Código de conduta para uma visita responsável a sítios arqueológicos. In Sítios arqueológicos portugueses revisitados: 500 arqueossítios ou conjuntos em condições de fruição pública responsável. Al-madan, 2ª série, p. 20 – 77. 

    DGPC contacts

    Phone: +351213614200 | Email: informacaoarqueologica@dgpc.pt

     


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