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Medieval Burial Site and “Little Horse Stone”
Monte de Santo Ovídio (in Arcozelo)

Rua de Santo Ovídio, Arcozelo 4990-730 Ponte de Lima 41º 46’ 48,9” N | 8º 36’ 21,7” W
Rua de Santo Ovídio, Arcozelo 4990-730 Ponte de Lima

For those visiting Ponte de Lima, it is mandatory to travel up the hill of Santo Ovídio, in order to conciliate natural and cultural heritage. The landscape that can be seen from the mountain top allows us to perceive all the beauties of the region and, if we want to, we can also analyse the foundation structures (many of them settled on a medieval basis) that bear witness to the various walls of antiquity that can be seen all around the municipality. Once at the top of the hill of Santo Ovídio (where there also used to be a hillfort, right next to the chapel of Santo Ovídio), to the north, one can find a medieval burial site, in anthropomorphic format, identical to many others spread around the region of Ponte de Lima. 

The south side of the wall that sustains this chapel requires a much more attentive look, at a zoomorphic motif sculpted onto the stone, a horse-like form, known as "Pedra do Cavalinho" (little horse stone) that bears witness to the existence of a probable pre and proto-historic site, as it is dated under the bronze age, within the so-called Art of the Peninsular Northeast, under the Chalcolithic and Final Bronze Period to be more accurate, according to the specialists.



Medieval Burial Site - 41º 46' 49,8'' N | 8º 36' 21,0'' W

"Little Horse Stone" - 41º 46' 48,6'' N | 8º 36' 21,2'' W



Description
For those visiting Ponte de Lima, it is mandatory to travel up the hill of Santo Ovídio, in order to conciliate natural and cultural heritage. The landscape that can be seen from the mountain top allows us to perceive all the beauties of the region and, if we want to, we can also analyse the foundation structures (many of them settled on a medieval basis) that bear witness to the various walls of antiquity that can be seen all around the municipality. Once at the top of the hill of Santo Ovídio (where there also used to be a hillfort, right next to the chapel of Santo Ovídio), to the north, one can find a medieval burial site, in anthropomorphic format, identical to many others spread around the region of Ponte de Lima. 

The south side of the wall that sustains this chapel requires a much more attentive look, at a zoomorphic motif sculpted onto the stone, a horse-like form, known as "Pedra do Cavalinho" (little horse stone) that bears witness to the existence of a probable pre and proto-historic site, as it is dated under the bronze age, within the so-called Art of the Peninsular Northeast, under the Chalcolithic and Final Bronze Period to be more accurate, according to the specialists.
Contacts
Medieval Burial Site - 41º 46' 49,8'' N | 8º 36' 21,0'' W

"Little Horse Stone" - 41º 46' 48,6'' N | 8º 36' 21,2'' W
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