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Draft Resolution No. 524 /X

Recovery of the Architectural Estate of Conimbriga

Conimbriga has had human presence confirmed at least since the Calcolitic,

believing, however, that it has been inhabited already since the Neolithic. Safe is, however,

their human occupation over the period of the Bronze Age witnessed by the

more ancient objects arrived that even us. It is still unquestionable the presence of the

Celts in these stops, since soon by, as it is known, all toponyms ended

in "fight" denouncing the presence of that people.

Conimbriga was thus an important caster when her Romans seized on

in 138 B.C., in the first military campaign in the region.

The most significant Roman vestiges identify, however, already in full

reign of Emperor Augustus. Conimbriga was at that time a flourishing hamlet,

Mercy of the peace established in Lusitania, and the romanization of the indigenous population was a

expeted process, having Conímbriga known a remarkable prosperity along

of the entire period of the Roman domain. In fact, during the centuries of domination

romana Conímbriga would become in an important and rich city as they witness, the

ruins laid out to be discovered.

The importance of the city is also marked by the evolution of toponymia and the

survival of the toponym (corrupted in Coimbra) applied to the ancient city of

Éminio.

However, notwithstanding its flourishing, Conímbriga would not come to escape to the deep

political and administrative crisis that plagued the whole of the Roman Empire and which facilitated the

progression, successfully, of the barbarian invasions in the séc. V. With them, the function of thirst

episcopal and therefore of most important city in the region that until then came

being taken over by Conímbriga has become performed, as of 580, by

Éminio.

The Suevos, who had occupied the Northwest of the Iberian Peninsula had, by this, a

special protagonism and responsibility in the reduction of Conímbriga to ruins in the year of

468, already after one its first invested in the year 464 and of, in 465, having

captured and plundered partially the city, which led, then, to its abandonment

partial.

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Subsequently, in the Middle Ages, Conímbriga would be totally abandoned, albeit if

meet traces of continued housing over the centuries and which part of the area of the

city, the present village of Conlet-a-Old, has not ever been abandoned.

At present, the set of the Ruins of Conimbriga, from its Monographic Museum-

built in their immediate vicinity-and of the castellum of Alcabidewhich constitute

an important archaeological complex that allows to reconstitute one of the modules more

relevant from the Roman Empire in this its extreme that constituted the former province of the

Lusitania.

Despite the interest of archaeologists by Conímbriga if it has mainly revealed itself to be

of the sixteenth century, excavations at the site were only initiated in the nineteenth century yet without

regular character and with a systematic character, since 1930.

The excavations met new development in the sixties of the last century

and are currently still maintaining a large part of the ruins still by

find out, as the excavated area is only about 20% of the total area of the city.

A very significant part of the profiling of the city is currently discovered.

Conimbriga, revealing to visitors of its Ruins an urbanistic planning

complex and laborious that integrates the forum , the aqueduct, the neighborhoods of commerce, of

industry and housing, a snap, several terms and the city walls. Of all

this architectural ensemble stands out, still, by the complexity of its construction and

by the exquisite decorative of which it is, a neighbourhood of rich landlords-

diametrically opposite to the insulae of the popular layers-from where to stand out the " House

of the Repuxos ", of large peristilo ajardinate and paved with polycromic mosaics,

preserved in situ , exhibiting mythological, geometric or representing motifs, very

simply, the real everyday. It is in short of the only set in territory

national where a roman city is exposed in a significant fraction of its

elements.

Conímbriga is, in an area bounded by decree in 1910, classified

legally as a National Monument, enjoys a protection zone created by

would pore from 1971 and, since the 40 significant part, but insufficient, is

property of the State

For the reasons that precede it, it becomes therefore unsustainable and inadmissible that the State

not have, even today, in your power and under your administration the entire relevant area

necessary for the preservation of this historical, archaeological and architectural set

truly odd. The problem of insufficiency of the expropriations carried out

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in the 40 it was diagnosed soon in the following decade, but the problem drags on without

definitive solution since then.

In fact, of the approximately 22 hectares of the maximum extent of the city in the period of the

his life, 14 hectares are already in the possession of the state, becoming necessary,

however, revert still to public property part of the difference of areas between these

two values, with a view to being able to be completed all the indispensable interventions to

an appropriate protection and management of that historical and architectural set.

Among other aspects, the fulfillment of such desiderata will allow to expose monuments of

great visual and aesthetic impact thanks to the conservation of its monumentality,

specifically the amphitheatre (the only Roman amphitheatre conserved in territory

national in conditions of being exposed and valued), the second forum of the city, which if

finds still buried under an olive grove, like an island in the middle of the visitable perimeter,

possibly the city theatre and still a significant part of the house of the reputs

that, despite being the ex libris of the Roman city, has not been completely excavated in

1939.

These and other similar aspects lead to that it should not be further postponed, under which

pretext for, the taking of the necessary policy initiatives that may, in the most brief

time space possible, welcoming the indispensable defense of the public interest that

stands for total disclosure and appropriate preservation and management of heritage

architectural and historical that constitutes Conimbriga.

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In these terms,

The Assembly of the Republic recommends to the Government the urgent adoption of measures with

view:

a) undertaking the necessary representations, in particular by recourse to expropriation or acquisition, to definitively consolidate in the

property of the State or of the other appropriate public entities the goods

real estate indispensable to the realization of the excavations, the operations of

conservation and restoration, and of the classification and organization of the missing plots

of the Roman city of Conimbriga;

b) To move forward in definite with the excavation, conservation, restoration, classification and valorisation of all such goods, with a view to revealing and

preserve properly, in definite, the totality of the acquis

architectural, historical and patrimonial of Conímbriga;

c) To provide the public entities responsible for the tutelage and management of the Conimfight site of the means necessary for the pursuit of such projects.

Palace of Saint Benedict, 1 deJuly 2009.

The Deputies of the Parliamentary Group of the Social Democratic Party,