Puntos de Interés
Culture
Castro Chano
In Peranzanes, 2 kilometres from Guímara, lies the Castro de Chano, the best-preserved hillfort in the Fornela valley. It was built between the 1st century BC and the 2nd century AD mid-slope on Mount El Regatón, in a commanding position overlooking the confluence of the Rivers Mondego and Cúa.
The castro comprises 20 slate dwellings with a circular plan and a diameter ranging between 3.5 and 5.5 metres. All of them are situated very close to each other, and their walls, more than half a metre thick, rise to 4 metres in height. Some also retain their interior layout, featuring a wall to support the central beam that held up the roof, a defined hearth area, and stone benches built into the wall. On the outside, a 2-metre-wide retaining wall remains, delimiting the north of the castro, alongside three ditches to the west and a channelling of the Carbanilles stream.
In addition, several full-scale huts have been reconstructed on the outskirts of the site. They show the complete structure and, inside, the tools and everyday implements used at that time. Looking at these structures with all their elements, it is possible to see similarities with the pallozas (traditional houses of the area), which are circular stone constructions with thatched roofs.
Experts believe that the construction of this settlement coincides with the arrival of the Romans in the region, attracted by the mining potential. Local communities were tasked with this arduous labour, which is why this settlement retains features of older indigenous models.
Artefacts found in the area offer valuable clues about the daily life of the inhabitants. The abundance of agricultural implements indicates that they must have farmed in the nearby valleys. In addition, the unusually high number of iron tools, made from locally sourced materials according to analyses, points to the existence of a forge within the castro itself.
Despite all this, life here was brief. It is estimated that the settlement was abruptly abandoned barely 50 years after its construction, as small hordes of Iberian coins (denarii) have been found which were never recovered. Interestingly, no signs of fire or evidence of attack have been found in the dwellings, which raises an enigma as to the real causes of their sudden abandonment.