Category Archives: Milestones

Milestones at Segura

(Originally published on November 15, 2013)

  • Possible milestone at the south entrance of Segura
  • Another one…
  • Via romana @ Segura

In the village of Segura (Idanha-a-Nova) there are several columns scattered around the village that may be milestones of the Roman road that passed through here to Merida. Within the village there are two small columns and at least one of them (near the South Gate) has the typical dimensions of these monuments. Leaving the village to the north via the Roman road that passes at the base of the Calvary hill, there are several columns at the side of the road and some tens of meters later another set of these columns showing signs of reuse as they present an orifice at the top and signs of being re-shaped; at least some of them are certainly milestones since they have the typical quadrangular base, an indicative feature that these columns were meant to be buried. These milestones are still unpublished so I can’t say anything more about their provenance , their reuse or why were they gathered here. Probably they will disappear soon due to their state of neglect. For when the appreciation of this important monuments?

Possible milestone lying down on the side of the road (note the square-shape base)
  • Milestones?
  • Milestones?

vide route here – http://viasromanas.pt/#idanha_merida

Milestone in the Chapel of St. Brissos

(Originally published on January 6, 2012)

Picture of a milestone that is today next to Chapel of St. Brissos (Santiago do Escoural, Montemor-o-Novo). It is likely that this milestone was displaced from the Roman road between Alcácer do Sal and Évora on the route to Mérida, which ran a little further south but it could be signalling another still unknown route. Photo kindly sent by Paulo Manços. Coordinates: 38.526076,-8.102848

Milestones at Viana do Castelo

(Originally published on November 9, 2011)

This set of 5 milestones belonging to the Roman road between Bracara Augusta (Braga) and Tuda (Tui) were found by the public road company «Estradas de Portugal» while doing rehabilitation works. They are now together on the new premises of the company on the number 1114 of the national road EN203 in Darque. It was time to return these “walking” milestones to their places of origin where they would be more valued more than on the grounds of a compound without public access. Coordinates: 41.681401, -8.770130

Milestone dedicated to Maximinus Daia found at «Monte da Gândara» (Sapardos, Vila Nova de Cerveira)
Milestone dedicated to Constantine I found in «Espinheiros» (Labruja, Ponte de Lima)
Possible milestone (no inscription nor square base) found in a site called «Lojas» next to the Roman road in Valença just before the crossing of the Minho river
Milestone perhaps dedicated to Magnentius found at «Freita» (Labruja, Ponte de Lima)
Milestone dedicated to Constantius I or II found in «Ranhadoura» (Sapardos, Vila Nova de Cerveira)

Bibliography: RODRIGUEZ COLMENERO, Antonio; FERRER SIERRA, Santiago; ÁLVAREZ ASOREY, Rubén D. (2004) – “Miliarios e outras inscricións viarias romanas no noroeste hispánico ”. Lugo: Consello da Cultura Galega. (available on this link)

vide route here – http://viasromanas.pt/#braga_tui

Milestone at Braga Cathedral

(Originally published on November 9, 2011)

  • Milestone
  • Imperator Nerva

Pictures of the milestone dedicated to Emperor Nerva on display on one of the entrances to the cloister of Braga’s Cathedral together with other Roman materials. This fragment was found in a farm called «Quinta do Outeiro» on the outskirts of the city in Frossos. The picture shows the lateral cut resulting from its reuse as a mill stone st the farm. The milestone was surely dislocated from its original position next to the Roman road connecting Bracara Augusta (Braga) to Tuda (Tui) and by its position it indicated 2 miles to Bracara Augusta.

vide route here – http://viasromanas.pt/#braga_tui

Milestones of Mário Saa at Ervedal

(Originally published on November 8, 2011)

  • «Ns. dos Prazeres»
  • «Lagoa Grande»
  • Altar to the Lares Viales

Last August I visited the «Paes Teles Archive» Foundation in the village of Ervedal (Avis), installed in the house Mário Saa, that displays the collection of Roman materials collected by this researcher. The highlights of the collection are the altar inscription (ara) dedicated to the «Lares Viales» (road deities) found by Saa in a site called «Monte das Esquilas» (Monforte), photo on the right, and two milestones, one dedicated to Emperor Constantine the Great found in «Casal da Pocariça» (Lagoa Grande, Bemposta, Abrantes), on the middle; the other is dedicated to Emperor Tacitus found next to the Chapel of Our Lady of Prazeres (Vale de Açor, Ponte de Sor), in the left picture. This meritorious foundation still preserves its interesting library and even publishes with some regularity a magazine about culture and heritage called “Vialibus” . A unique case in Portugal that is worth visiting. Coordinates: 39.043472, -7.813889

Milestones at Vila Viçosa Archaeological Museum

(Originally published on November 8, 2011)

  • «Herdade de Alcobaça»
  • Milestone to Constans

Pictures of the milestones on display at the excellent Vila Viçosa Archaeological Museum: On the left the milestone dedicated to Emperor Constans found close to town and on the right, the milestone dedicated to Emperor Marcus Aurelius found in «Herdade de Alcobaça» close to the village of Vila Fernando (Elvas). These milestones would belong to Itinerary XII between Lisbon and Merida that passed in Évora.

Milestone in Gosendos

(Originally published on January 14, 2011)

Pictures of an unpublished milestone on the Roman road linking Braga to Tui. It was reused as pillar of a balcony in a rustic house located in the village of Gosendos, parish of Sapardos, municipality of Vila Nova de Cerveira, 34 miles north of Braga. This milestone is about 2 m high and its faces have been thinned out so no trace of letters could be seen now. In the same place there are also two pig sinks made of a granite very similar to the milestone and with a diameter of about 0.5 m that may have been excavated from fragments of other milestones as in the case of the milestone found in the village of Romarigães. The photos were kindly sent by Ricardo Nunes. Coordinates: 41.922896, -8.662120

  • Milestone?

vide route here – https://viasromanas.pt/#braga_tui

Milestones in the chapel of São Bartolomeu das Antas

(Originally published on November 30, 2010)

The construction of the Chapel of S. Bartolomeu das Antas near Rubiães reused 6 milestones found on the region; two of them support the chapel porch, one dedicated to Magnentius signalling 31 miles to Bracara Augusta (Braga) while the other is dedicated to Nerva indicating 36 miles. The remaining milestones are buried in upright position around the chapel: one dedicated to Julian of mile 33, one to Maximinus Thrax and his son Maximus, one to Maximinus Daia with unreadable miles and finally one without inscription. Pictures of the milestones in the Chapel of S. Bartolomeu sent by Ricardo Nunes. Coordinates: 41.899527, -8.642961


Vide route here – https://viasromanas.pt/#braga_tui

Milestones in Passau, Germany

(Originally published on April 2, 2009)

  • Milestone @ Museum
  • Milestone @ Centre
  • Roman road
  • City centre

Some pictures I took in Passau, former Batavis located, in the Roman province of Noricum, at the confluence of the rivers Danube and Inn, a strategic place for the defence of the empire of the Germanic tribes. Photos of the two existing milestones in the city; one is in the outer garden of Boiotro Castle, built on Roman foundations and now home to the Römer Museum; the other milestone, still in situ, is on a corner of the old town, next to the old city gate, in line with the old Roman road along the Danube (Donausüdstraße) from Vindobona, present-day Vienna, passing Batavis (Boiodoro on Antonino’s Itinerary) currently Passau, then on to Quintianis (Künzing) and Regino (Regensburg).