Located about 1km north of Vila do Torrão, it corresponds to a section of an ancient Roman road. We are in the presence of a very well preserved section of Roman pavement, about 400 metres long. Stone from the region was used in its construction.
It is oriented N/S, forming part of the road that connected Pax Iulia (Beja) to Ebora (Évora) - Itinerary XII.
José d’Encarnação suggests that the milestone discovered in the Roman villa of Porto da Lama belonged to the Roman road “Salacia-Ebora”. It is a marble milestone, dedicated to the two emperors, Constantius Chlorus and Galerius, Caesars from 293 to 305 AD. It belonged to the road “Olisipo-Salacia-Ebora”. Access to Pax Iulia would be via a bridge built over the Xarrama, known in Vila do Torrão as the Ponte da Calçadinha Romana (Roman Pavement Bridge), which, according to André de Resende, dates back to the 5th century AD. The pavement was built on a level base, on beaten earth covered by a layer of cut stone with a slope to allow water to drain. Its path is almost straight, and is delimited by large pebbles, placed parallel along the pavement. The central part is made up of rows of flat stones of different sizes, with small pebbles, gravel and earth between the larger stones.
Translated by Google •
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