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All Portugal Santuário Rupestre de Panóias (Panoias Sanctuary)
AO Edited

Santuário Rupestre de Panóias (Panoias Sanctuary)

This Gallo-Roman sanctuary is dedicated to Serápis, god of the underworld.

Vale de Nogueiras, Portugal

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Foundations of temple with tanks inside.   João Carvalho
Temple Foundations.   Vitor Oliveira
Access steps.   Carlos de Figueiredo
“Gastra” - round cavity.   Carlos de Figueiredo
Inscription.   João Carvalho
Votive tanks.   Carlos Cunha
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This sanctuary was constructed during the late 2nd-century and early 3rd-century.

The cult of Serapis started in Egypt and was later adopted by the Greeks and Romans, until Emperor Theodosius banned all pagan cults and adopted Christianity as the official religion in 391 CE.

It's believed there were originally 11 rocks, as recorded by early archaeologists, but only a small part is currently accessible.

The sanctuary is composed of tanks of different sizes and shapes, votive inscriptions, building foundations, and access steps. Everything was carved in the granitic rocks outcrop.

Today, only three inscriptions remain in Latin and one in Greek. They contain the instructions of the rituals celebrated, the identification of the gods, and who dedicated the site, Gaius C. Calpurnius Rufinus, a member of the senatorial order.

From the inscriptions, researchers learned that animals were sacrificed at the site, their blood was collected in a bowl, and their entrails were then burned in a sacred rite performed by priests

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Temples History & Culture Archaeology

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The sanctuary is located in the village of Assento, near Constantim, Vila Real. There is a small center with an exhibition and explanations about the site.

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Published

October 25, 2021

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  • http://www.patrimoniocultural.gov.pt/pt/patrimonio/patrimonio-imovel/pesquisa-do-patrimonio/classificado-ou-em-vias-de-classificacao/geral/view/70273/
  • https://arqueologia.patrimoniocultural.pt/index.php?sid=sitios&subsid=47535
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panoias_Sanctuary
Santuário Rupestre de Panóias (Panoias Sanctuary)
Vale de Nogueiras, 5000-751
Portugal
41.282926, -7.682238
Visit Website

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