The national monuments of Portugal () were constructed throughout the Portuguese territory, and the oldest date back to the period of pre-historic settlement of occupation. Subsequently, the region that is today Portugal has been colonized by many civilizations, which have left marks in the territory, constructing markers, defensive structures, homes and places of worship to suit their requirements and means. The formal organization of the Portuguese state resulted in a process to qualify and quantify those structures that have had an intrinsic value to the Portuguese culture. Starting with the Direcção Geral dos Edifícios e Monumentos Nacionais (DGMEN), and later by the Instituto de Gestão do Património Arquitectónico e Arqueológico (IGESPAR), the Portuguese government developed a registry of national monuments that includes a rich heritage of historical monuments throughout the country. This is a compilation of those structures that are designated as National Monuments only.
History
The first documented peoples to occupy the western coast of Iberia were the "Ostrimni" recorded in Ancient Latin poetry, whose territory stretched from Galicia (in northwestern Spain) to the Algarve (southern area of Portugal). The Greeks called the area of Portugal Ophiussa, and its inhabitants the Ophi. The serpent-worshipping Ophis are believed to have been a Celtic culture. These areas were eventually conquered, settled and assimilated by Indo-European peoples, made up of two probable invasions, the first by Proto-Celts who became the celebrated Lusitanians and the second by more developed Celts. Phoenicians also settled in trading posts along the coast and may have had contact with the assumably proto-Celtic Lusitanians, who, along with the Celtic Gallaeci, Celtici, Conii and Turduli became the base of the modern Portuguese ethnicity and culture. The Lusitanians along with the Gallaeci developed the Castro culture at the time of their invasion by the legions of Rome.
A formal organization of what would become Portugal began with the Roman occupation of the peninsula, which were responsible for re-purposing many of the castro settlements and moving the settlements from the hills to the valleys in the region. In the process, they constructed new buildings, established modern infrastructures (including internal water and baths) and a road network that connected Roman villas. Although there are many excavated ruins throughout the country, of particular importance are the Roman ruins of Conímbriga (Condeixa-a-Nova), in addition to many vestiges that encountered in the cities of Lisbon or Évora.
The disorganization in the Roman empire, which led to its fall, allowed the conquest by the Visigoths and the Christian Suevi in later years, along with other Germanic tribes. Many of the structures that survived this period include ancient churches and inscriptions built over previous constructions, which were the centre of Lusitanian settlements. Early Christian influences persisted for several centuries, until the Moors and Arab Berber peoples (from North Africa) invaded the Peninsula, including all of the territory which would eventually become Portugal. The Moors were first to construct many of the medieval castles that dot the landscapes of Portugal.
From the northern enclaves (Galicia and Asturias in Portugal's case), the Christian Reconquista began, expanding progressively south towards the southern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. This was not a permanent expansion, since the Moorish-Christian frontier continued to expand and retract for several years, with the victories and defeats of each battle.
Meanwhile, Portugal became a county of the Kingdom of León and briefly during the independence of the Kingdom of Galicia in the 1060s and 1070s. It became an autonomous dominion of the Kingdom of León in 1128, emerging as a fully independent kingdom in 1139, officially recognized by the Treaty of Zamora in 1143. After this period, and with the rise of the Portuguese state after the beginning of the Age of Discovery, Portuguese architecture expanded under the patronage of the wealthy kings, nobility, powerful clergy and through the many battles with rivals such as Castile, the French and Dutch. During these periods, many of the prominent buildings were destroyed, rebuilt, re-purposed and closed on the whims of the monarchy, which progressively used architectural projects to support their power, remember past glories or expand their position in the Iberian Peninsula.
With the demise of the powerful clergy and religious orders, and eventually the fall of the monarchy in Portugal, many of the once important buildings in the country were either reused as seats of governmental power, abandoned into ruin or reused as museum, although some remained places of public use (such as the religious places of worship). The 20th century movement to restore and preserve the architectural history of Portugal was initiated under the Direcção Geral dos Edifícios e Monumentos Nacionais (DGMEN) during the Estado Novo regime in order to inventory national treasures and preserve existing monuments.
National monuments Although there are numerous monuments from various ages some of them have a special value due to their historical, architectural, artistic and cultural importance. These monuments are classified and protected by the Instituto de Gestão do Património Arquitectónico e Arqueológico (IGESPAR) (Institute for the Management of Architectural and Archaeological Heritage), which classifies national treasures in terms of several general criteria: historic and cultural, aesthetic and social, technical and scientific, but also includes issues of integrity, authenticity and exemplary importance.
Owing to its relative value and importance, the cultural property may be listed as or national, public or municipal interest. In addition, these definitions are also defined in terms of being monuments, groups of buildings or sites, based on existing international conventions. IGESPAR regularly proposes the listing of new assets based on its mission to safeguard national heritage. As time goes by, a wide variety of new buildings and groups of structures of varying typologies have been added to the national register of monuments, such modernist architecture, vernacular landscapes, archaeological sites, monastic buildings/structures, historical gardens, and more recently human-built business and industrial establishments.
The listing process follows a strict procedure defined by Decree-Law no. 309/2009 (23 October 2009), which entered into force in January 2010.
IGESPAR also monitors and participates in the UNESCO registry of World Heritage Sites as a member state: there are 13 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in territory of Portugal. Similarly, eleven assets in the UNESCO world heritage list of 878 sites were former Portuguese possessions at one time, spread across three continents (Africa, America and Asia) associated with period of Portuguese Discoveries.
Prehistoric
Alentejo region
Archaeological Site of Senhor dos Mártires (Santa Maria do Castelo, Alcácer do Sal) Castro of Castelo Velho (Terena, Alandroal) Castro of Cola (Ourique, Ourique) Cromlech of the Almendres (Almendres, Évora) Cave of Nossa Senhora da Luz (Rio Maior, Rio Maior) Dolmen of Alto de Miraflores (Barbacena, Elvas) Dolmen of Arraiolos (Arraiolos, Arraiolos) Dolmen of Barrocal (Nossa Senhora da Tourega, Évora) Dolmen of Cabeça Gordo (Barbacena, Elvas) Dolmen of Casa dos Galhardos (Santa Maria da Devessa, Castelo de Vide) Dolmen of Coureleiros II (Santiago Maior, Castelo de Vide) Dolmen of Coutada de Alcogulo (Santa Maria da Devessa, Castelo de Vide) Dolmen of Coutada de Barbacena (Barbacena, Elvas) Dolmen of D. Miguel (Barbacena, Elvas) Dolmen of Fonte de Mouratão (São João Baptista, Castelo de Vide) Dolmen of Herdade da Candeira (Redondo, Redondo) Dolmen of Herdade das Comendas (Nossa Senhora do Bispo, Montemor-o-Novo) Dolmen of Herdade das Dessouras (Redondo, Redondo) Dolmen of Herdade de Freixo (Monte do Trigo, Portel) Dolmen of Herdade de Galvoeira (Nossa Senhora de Machede, Évora) Dolmen of Herdade de Montinho (Nossa Senhora de Machede, Évora) Dolmen of Herdade da Murteira (Torre de Coelheiros, Évora) Dolmen of Herdade da Ordem (Maranhão, Avis) Dolmen of Herdade da Serranheira (Nossa Senhora do Bispo, Montemor-o-Novo) Dolmen of Herdade do Silval (Nossa Senhora da Graça do Divor, Évora) Dolmen of Herdade da Tisnada (Torre de Coelheiros, Évora) Dolmen of Herdade de Tourais (Nossa Senhora da Vila, Montemor-o-Novo) Dolmen of Herdade de Zambujal (São Bento do Mato, Évora) Dolmen of Olival de Monte Velho (Barbacena, Elvas) Dolmen of Paço das Vinhas (Canaviais, Évora) Dolmen of Paiva (Paiva, Mora) Dolmen of Paredes (Nossa Senhora da Graça do Divor, Évora) Dolmen of Pinheiro do Campo (São Sebastião de Giesteira, Évora) Dolmen of Porto de Cima de D. Miguel (Barbacena, Elvas) Dolmen of Melriça (Santiago Maior, Castelo de Vide) Dolmen of Nave do Grou (São João Baptista, Castelo de Vide) Dolmen of Pêro d'Alva (Santa Maria da Devessa, Castelo de Vide) Dolmen of Pombais (Santa Maria da Devessa, Castelo de Vide) Dolmen of São Brissos (Santiago do Escoural, Montemor-o-Novo) Dolmen of Silval (Nossa Senhora da Graça do Divor, Évora) Dolmen of Torna de Paço Pereira (Barbacena, Elvas) Dolmen of Torrão (Barbacena, Elvas) Dolmen of Várzea dos Mourões (Santiago Maior, Castelo de Vide) Dolmen of Velada (Nossa Senhora do Bispo, Montemor-o-Novo) Dolmen of Venda do Duque (Vimieiro, Arraiolos) Dolmen of Vidigueira (Redondo, Redondo) Dolmen of Vila de Nisa (Espírito Santo, Nisa) Dolmen of Vila Nova de São Pedro (Vila Nova de São Pedro, Azambuja) Great Dolmen of Comenda da Igreja (Nossa Senhora do Bispo, Montemor-o-Novo) Great Dolmen of Zambujeiro (Nossa Senhora da Tourega, Évora) Great Dolmens of Paço (Nossa Senhora do Bispo, Montemor-o-Novo) Lagar of Varas do Fojo (Santo Agostinho, Moura) Megalithic Monuments of Vale do Rodrigo (Nossa Senhora da Tourega, Évora) Menhir of Abelhoa (Monsaraz, Reguengos de Monsaraz) Menhir of Courela da Casa Nova (Silveiras, Montemor-o-Novo) Menhir of Outeiro (Monsaraz, Reguengos de Monsaraz) Prehistoric Rock-Art Site of Escoural (Santiago do Escoural, Montemor-o-Novo) Prehistoric Rock-Art Site of Vale de Junco (Esperança, Arronches)
Algarve region
Megalithic Monuments of Alcalar (Mexilhoeira, Portimão) Megalithic Monuments of Quinta da Nora (Vila Nova de Cacela, Vila Real de Santo António)
Centro region
Castro of Bom Successo (Mangualde, Mangualde) Castro of Nossa Senhora da Guia (Baiões, São Pedro do Sul) Castro of São Miguel de Amêndoa ((Amêndoa, Mação) Castro of Zambujal (Santa Maria do Castelo e São Miguel, Torres Vedra) Cave of Ermigeira (Maxial, Sintra) Dolmen of Aldeia da Mata (Aldeia da Mata, Crato) Dolmen of Arca (Arca, Oliveira de Frades) Dolmen of Cas-Freires (Ferreira de Aves, Sátão) Dolmen of Carapito I (Carapito, Aguiar da Beira) Dolmen of Cunha Baixa (Cunha Baixa, Mangualde) Dolmen of Crato (Crato e Mártires, Crato) Dolmen of Mamaltar do Vale de Fachas (Rio de Loba, Viseu) Dolmen of Orca, (Oliviera do Conde, Carregal do Sal) Dolmen of Paranhos (Paranhos, Seia) Dolmen of Penalva (Antas, Penalva do Castelo) Dolmen of Queiriga (Queiriga, Vila Nova de Paiva) Dolmen of Tintinolho (Faia, Guarda) Funerary Monument of Tholos do Barro (São Pedro e Santiago, Torres Vedras) Megalithic Monuments of Serra da Brenha (Alhadas, Figueira da Foz) Painted Dolmen of Antelas (Pinheiro de Lafões, Oliveira de Frades)
Lisbon region
Archaeological Site of Lapa do Fumo (Castelo, Sesimbra) Archaeological Site of Pedra de Ouro (Cadafais, Alenquer) Archaeological Site of Quinta de Rouxinol (Corroios, Seixal) Barreira Megalithic Complex Artificial caves of Casal do Pardo, Palmela Castro of Rocha Forte (Lamas, Cadaval) Dolmen of Adrenunes (Colares, Sintra)