Inguias reveals its history through a variety of traces: medieval graves, Roman materials and a church with Baroque and Neoclassical elements. Those looking to understand the village’s cultural heritage can distinguish between religious architecture and archaeological finds. The specific forms and materials offer different insights into the past.

Church Architecture and Local Places of Remembrance

The Igreja Matriz das Inguias is an example of 17th-century vernacular religious architecture, with Baroque and Neoclassical elements. Its bell tower stands apart from the church; adjoining it are a funerary chapel and an extension. The origin of one of the church’s furnishings is also part of the building’s history: the main altarpiece comes from the Convento de Nossa Senhora da Esperança. The architecture and furnishings each tell their own story about the church.

Another historic site is the Fonte da Mina on Rua da Fonte. The fountain has a rectangular plan and a round-arched opening framed by two voussoirs. Different historical layers also come together at the Capela de Nossa Senhora da Estrela: its foundations are medieval, and it is considered likely that it was built over a Roman structure. This distinction matters when interpreting the building’s history: the medieval foundations are established, while the Roman predecessor structure remains a probable interpretation.

In Inguias, there is also a mural titled “Sermão de St. António aos Peixes” in a building believed to be the Capela de St. António. The mural connects the Ribeira das Inguias with the Capela de Santo António. Alongside architecture and archaeological finds, an image thus brings the river and chapel together.

Archaeological Traces: Graves, Settlements and Materials

The Sepultura da Nossa Senhora da Estrela is an archaeological site from the Christian Middle Ages in Inguias. At Terras da Ribeira, there is a single anthropomorphic grave carved into a granite outcrop. Senhora da Estrela I comprises two anthropomorphic graves, also carved into granite, arranged at right angles to each other. The comparison highlights a specific difference: one site has a single grave, while the other has two graves oriented differently from one another.

Other sites represent different periods and materials. Senhora da Estrela II dates back to prehistoric and Roman times; finds include Roman building material, column fragments and hand mills. Chão do Lameiro I is thought to have been a Roman agricultural settlement. Roman building ceramics, smelting slag and domestic pottery are recorded there. Chão do Lameiro II includes Roman building material, column fragments and hand mills. The types of finds can therefore be distinguished: at Chão do Lameiro I, slag and domestic pottery occur alongside building material, while Chão do Lameiro II is characterized by building material, column fragments and hand mills.

At Chão Novo, prehistoric and Roman-period sites are associated with ceramic, glass and slag remains found on the surface. Fonte Velha comprises Roman surface remains, including building ceramics and tin-smelting slag. Vilela refers to a small area with Roman ceramic remains found on the surface. São Geraldo, in turn, is a settlement dating from the Late Bronze Age and the Iron Age. Thus, alongside grave types, settlement traces and a variety of finds are central to the archaeological history of Inguias.

Getting Around and Planning Your Trip

One specific route starts at the road junction leading to Trigais, Bendada and Maçaínhas, then follows a short field track towards the Capela de Nossa Senhora da Estrela. Check the condition of the track before setting out. The description indicates a direction but does not replace an assessment of conditions on the day of your visit.

The parish website lists August as the month of the Festas em Honra de Nossa Senhora da Estrela. If you are planning your trip specifically around the festival, check the dates for the relevant year. When choosing accommodation in Inguias, the local churches, graves and settlement traces can provide a historical and cultural theme for your stay, with different points of interest for a history- and culture-focused trip.

For an overview of the wider area: Belmonte.