The Fortalezas da Fronteira project returns once again to the As Torres archaeological site, in Taborda, Tomi\u00f1o, with an intensive programme of archaeological, cultural, heritage, and educational activities. The initiative, promoted by the universities of Santiago and Minho (Portugal) and the Taborda Community of Montes, is accompanied by a new edition of the \u201cAs Torres\u201d volunteer camp, organised within the Xunta de Galicia\u2019s Summer Campaign. It combines archaeological research, heritage outreach, social participation, and activities across the territory. <\/p>\n\n
As happened last year, Fortalezas da Fronteira will hold numerous BARferences and guided visits \u2014 an open programme for the public that will take place between 6 and 18 July and is centred on the Galician\u2011Portuguese fortifications of the 17th\u2011century war between Galicia and Portugal. The programme will allow local residents and visitors to learn about the history of the fortified landscape of the Galician\u2011Portuguese border, as well as the progress made in the archaeological work. <\/p>\n\n
The new archaeological campaign<\/strong><\/p>\n\n According to archaeologist Rebeca Blanco\u2011Rotea, the work carried out in 2025 confirmed the presence of an embrasure linked to the Early Modern period, built over what may have been a medieval tower, as numerous remains dating between the 13th and 15th centuries were found. These findings point to an earlier occupation of the site and to its reuse as an area of control and defence. In addition, the entire complex sits atop a large Roman mining system. <\/p>\n\n In this new campaign, the team will expand the archaeological survey, carry out additional cleaning tasks, and undertake two test excavations: one in the possible late\u2011medieval structure and another in the Early Modern fort. The aim is to gain a better understanding of the evolution of As Torres between the Late Middle Ages and the Modern period, in a strategic location for controlling the crossings of the Mi\u00f1o River and the Pedra River towards Tui. <\/p>\n\n The Director\u2011General for Youth, Lara Meneses, highlights that this volunteer camp is \u201ca magnificent example\u201d of what these initiatives represent, as it allows young people to participate \u201cactively in the conservation of our heritage\u201d while experiencing a process of coexistence and learning. Meneses also emphasises the collaboration with the Taborda Community of Montes to enhance \u201ca space of great heritage and environmental interest\u201d and stresses the positive impact the project has both on young people and on the territory. <\/p>\n\n For his part, the project\u2019s promoter, Xurxo Salgado \u2014 journalist and professor at the Faculty of Communication Sciences at USC \u2014 highlights that Fortalezas da Fronteira is an initiative \u201crooted in the people\u201d that seeks \u201cto bring heritage and archaeology closer to society, encouraging knowledge and protection.\u201d Salgado recalls that the project was inspired by the stories told by his grandfather and aims \u201cto bring together the people on both sides of the border and to highlight the rich heritage of the Galician\u2011Portuguese frontier.\u201d <\/p>\n\n Programme of Activities<\/strong><\/p>\n\n The programme will begin on Monday, 6 July, at 8:30 p.m. at Novo Bar de Carregal, with the BARference \u201cDetectors and Archaeology: What Cannot Be Done\u201d, delivered by archaeologist Gorka Mart\u00edn from the University of the Basque Country.<\/p>\n\n On Thursday, 9 July, at 8:00 p.m., at A Social de Est\u00e1s, archaeologist Brais Curr\u00e1s (CSIC) will give the lecture \u201cRoman Gold Mining in the Baixo Mi\u00f1o: People, Places and Settlements\u201d.<\/p>\n\n On Friday, 10 July, there will be a guided visit to the As Torres archaeological site at 12:00 p.m., departing from the old As Torres barriers. Later that day, at 8:30 p.m., at Al Dente in Tui\u2019s San Antonio market, Rebeca Blanco\u2011Rotea will give the talk \u201cDiscovering the fortified landscape of the border: a look at Tui\u201d, and Tiago Rodrigues will present \u201cPhysiognomies of the Fortified Landscape: (de)mythifying and (de)constructing the territory in the Minho River valley\u201d. <\/p>\n\n On Saturday, 11 July, at 10:00 a.m., a guided tour of the Goi\u00e1n fortification will take place, led by Xo\u00e1n R. Carnero Fern\u00e1ndez and Rebeca Blanco\u2011Rotea, departing from Espazo Fortaleza. The activity requires prior registration at rutasdehistoria.com. <\/p>\n\n On Sunday, 12 July, there will be a visit to the fortified systems of Tui and Valen\u00e7a, also requiring registration at rutasdehistoria.com. The activity will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the Palco M\u00fasica Corredera in Tui and will continue at 4:00 p.m. at the Interpretative Centre of the Fortresses of Valen\u00e7a. <\/p>\n\n On Tuesday, 14 July, at 8:30 p.m., Espazo Fortaleza will host the round table \u201cHeritage Education, Memory and Leisure: How Can We Take Care of What Is Ours?\u201d, featuring Santiago Veloso from the cultural association Ponte… nas Ondas!; Alfonso Lorenzo Vila from the Turonio CEPL Pedro Caselles Beltr\u00e1n Educational Project; and Xaquin Cadilla Castro from the Piueiro Traditional Boats Cultural Association (A Guarda).<\/p>\n\n On Thursday, 16 July, at 10:00 a.m., the Pinz\u00e1s Community of Montes hall will host the talk\u2011route \u201cPinz\u00e1s Wetland: Landscape and Biodiversity in Monte da Groba\u201d, guided by Manuel \u00c1ngel Pombo \u201cPeque\u201d from ANABAM. The activity requires prior registration at rutasdehistoria.com. <\/p>\n\n On Friday, 17 July, there will be another guided visit to the As Torres archaeological site at 12:00 p.m. In the afternoon, at 8:30 p.m., at A Taberna\u2011Tebra, Rebeca Blanco\u2011Rotea will give the talk \u201cLand of Romans, Warriors and Soldiers: 2,000 Years of History at As Torres\u201d. The session will conclude with the performance \u201cBorder Tales\u201d, by Avelino Gonz\u00e1lez from Contacontos. <\/p>\n\n The programme will conclude on Saturday, 18 July, at 10:00 a.m., with the route \u201cFrom the 1st Century to the 21st Century: How the Landscape Has Changed in 2,000 Years\u201d, a guided walk around the surroundings of the As Torres archaeological site, departing from the R\u00edo da Pedra. The activity requires registration at rutasdehistoria.com. <\/p>\n\n The project<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Fortalezas da Fronteira is a cultural, archaeological and outreach project focused on the As Torres archaeological site in San Miguel de Taborda, in the municipality of Tomi\u00f1o. The initiative combines scientific research, youth volunteering, social participation and public dissemination to highlight the fortified landscape of the Galician\u2011Portuguese border and to contribute to the collective protection of this heritage. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Fortalezas da Fronteira project returns once again to the As Torres archaeological site, in Taborda, Tomi\u00f1o, with an intensive programme of archaeological, cultural, heritage, and educational activities. The initiative, promoted by the universities of Santiago and Minho (Portugal) and the Taborda Community of Montes, is accompanied by a new edition of the \u201cAs Torres\u201d volunteer camp, organised within the Xunta de Galicia\u2019s Summer Campaign. It combines archaeological research, heritage outreach, social participation, and activities across the territory. As happened last year, Fortalezas da Fronteira will hold numerous BARferences and guided visits \u2014 an open programme for the public that will take place between 6 and 18 July and is centred on the Galician\u2011Portuguese fortifications of the 17th\u2011century war between Galicia and Portugal. The programme will allow…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1670,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[68,49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1671","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-edition-2026","category-notes"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fortalezasdafronteira.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1671","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fortalezasdafronteira.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fortalezasdafronteira.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fortalezasdafronteira.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fortalezasdafronteira.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1671"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/fortalezasdafronteira.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1671\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1672,"href":"https:\/\/fortalezasdafronteira.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1671\/revisions\/1672"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fortalezasdafronteira.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1670"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fortalezasdafronteira.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1671"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fortalezasdafronteira.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1671"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fortalezasdafronteira.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1671"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}