Cova da Moura
About this heritage
Cova da Moura, located near the Castillo de Laias in the Ourense municipality of Cenlle, is an underground gallery excavated by the Romans. This gallery, about 40 meters long, was built to channel water used in the washing of gold-bearing materials, with the aim of separating small gold nuggets. It is part of an important archaeological complex that attests to the intense Roman mining activity in the Miño region, where the use of water was fundamental for gold extraction. Cova da Moura is a prominent example of Roman engineering and the historical importance of mining in Laias.
To learn more
Cova da Moura is one of the most significant examples of Roman mining in Galicia. It is located within the archaeological site of Castillo de Laias, a settlement inhabited from the late Bronze Age to the Roman period. The gallery of Cova da Moura was excavated by the Romans to channel water to washing areas, where gold particles were separated from the extracted ore. On the gallery walls, marks from hand tools and small lateral recesses can be observed, likely used to support oil lamps or candles. This tunnel, along with the remains of channels and washing basins nearby, helps to understand how the Romans utilized natural and technological resources for gold exploitation, serving as an example of historical and technological heritage that provides valuable information about the life and economy of the time.
To know it better
Cova da Moura, integrated into the archaeological complex of Castillo de Laias (Cenlle, Ourense), constitutes a Roman-era mining hydraulic infrastructure designed for the channeling and management of waters for gold washing processes. Archaeological interventions carried out both by Chamoso Lamas in the mid-20th century and by the teams of Álvarez González and López González in the 1990s documented an artificial gallery between 40 and 70 meters in length and up to 1.80 meters in height, with clear evidence of manual excavation and lateral recesses interpreted as supports for lighting elements. The site, located in a highly visible area overlooking the Miño valley, shows continuous occupation from the late Bronze Age, with an intensive mining exploitation phase in the Roman period focused on gold extraction through hydraulic washing techniques. Cova da Moura represents a paradigmatic example of territorial adaptation and Roman technology for mineral resource exploitation, integrating into a network of mining and road infrastructures that connected the main gold deposits of Roman Gallaecia.
Location
- Town
- Viñal do Rei
- Municipality
- Cenlle
- Province
- Ourense
- Country
- Spain
The asset
- Eco-destination
- Río Miño – Ourense
- Environment
- Rural
How to get there
- Access
- By land
The visit
- Visitable
- Yes
Coordinates
- Latitud
- 42.33411
- Longitud
- -8.01834