Castro de Os Castros

Os Castros, one of the largest fortified settlements in the Navia-Eo inland region, is situated in the capital of the Taramundi municipal district. The site covers around two hectares and bears the traces of a long history spanning approximately a thousand years.

The settlement was identified in 1969 by José Manuel González, who recorded it under the name ‘El Castro’. Years later, in 1992, the first archaeological survey was carried out and, since 2000, excavations have provided a better understanding of the evolution of this settlement and the way of life of its inhabitants.

Archaeological work has uncovered around ten buildings, a ‘castreña’ sauna, several sections of streets, walls and other defensive structures dating from different phases of occupation. Of particular note is the deep moat hewn out of the rock which protected the settlement from the north.

Os Castros was inhabited from the late Bronze Age or early Iron Age until Roman times. The Roman presence is documented from the mid-1st century AD, and all the evidence suggests that the settlement remained occupied for much of the 2nd century.

The site is therefore an exceptional place to explore the history of Taramundi and discover how these ancient settlements in western Asturias evolved over the centuries.