2013 - October : AAA visit to Abicada
A group of members and guests visited the Roman villa site at Abicada near Portimão.
The visit was led by Dr. Rui Parreira who described the landscape as it would have appeared and utilized during the Roman occupation when the villa/farm would have overlooked a bay open to the sea. Now, due to silting, the view is over marshland inhabited by wildlife. The Roman building consists of a number of south facing rooms fronted by the remains of an open colonnade. Most of the domestic rooms will have had mosaic floors which have now been removed for conservation (this work is being carried out in Portimão). Over the years the site has been neglected and sadly suffered from ‘unwelcome’ visitors but work has been carried out to protect the site from natural erosion.
Rui also told of plans to develop the land and buildings around Abicada and hopefully to carry out further restoration work to raise the profile of the villa for visitors.
