A castle you read on the ground
Vive Cabeceiras · Rio Douro · interpretação arqueológica

In Eiró, the circular shape and moat tell a story.

The municipal inventory interprets the vestiges as a fortified motorcycle-type residence from the middle of the 13th century. It relates it to the castle referred to in the 1258 Inquisitions. The circular shape rests on a stone and gravel landfill, surrounded by a moat. The municipality highlights the position over the valley of Rio Douro, link between Refojos and the plateau Barrosão. The reading combines ground and document, without reconstructing the missing building for sure. The document of 1258 adds a social dimension to the form of the land: according to the municipal interpretation, almost all residents of Santo André of Rio Douro had an annual obligation to move to the castle. The reference links fortification to community organization, although it does not clarify all associated tasks here. The inventory compares construction with examples from Britain. It is a comparison of forms and techniques, not proof of the origin of its builders. The location in the middle of the slope helps to understand the relationship between defense and passage through the valley.

Sources and context
Municipality — archaeological inventory, interpretations and chronologies
https://cabeceirasdebasto.pt/cultura-arqueologia
Accessed: 2026-11-07

Editorial summary. The date of consultation is not the date of the facts.
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https://vivecabeceiras.pt/en/descobrir/terra-viva/?leitura=eiro-mota#eiro-mota