Centum Cellas

Centum Cellas, also referred to as Centum Cellæ, Centum Celli, or Centum Cœli , is a Roman villa rustica that dates back to the 1st century AD, located in the Mount of Santo Antão in Belmonte, Castelo Branco District, Portugal.In the context of the Roman invasion of the Iberian Peninsula, the Villa was supposedly the property of a Lúcio Cecílio , a wealthy Roman citizen, a tradesman of tin who ordered its construction in the 1st century AD.Hispania was one of if not the richest Roman province in the case of mineral ore from around the first century BC. Containing deposits of the metals , it was very rich in resources. The Romans realised this, and there is evidence of large-scale mining and processing in the region. From its acquisition during the Punic Wars to the Fall of Rome, Iberia continued to produce a significant amount of Roman metals. Tin was especially important being mined only in Iberia, Persia and Britannia. According to certain archeological sources, it was partially destroyed in the 3rd century AD but rebuilt right after. In the Middle Ages, over the remnant parts, a chapel was built in homage to Pope Cornelius. However, there are no traces of it today. It is also possible that during this time, due to its proximity with the Kingdom of León, the tower was used as a military outpost. In 1188, the place, then named Centuncelli, received a foral by king Sancho I of Portugal. 19th century Portuguese historian Pinho Leal wrote that the tower was renovated in order to be used as a watchtower in either the 13th or 14th centuries.

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