The Roman Villa of Frielas is located in the parish of Frielas in the municipality of Loures in the Lisbon District of Portugal. It fell under the territory of the Roman settlement of Olisipo, which covered a large area from Lisbon to the south to Torres Vedras in the north. It is believed to have been re-used in the medieval period during the Islamic occupation of Portugal. Excavations began in 1997 and are continuing, over an area of about 3500 square metres. Since 2012 the villa has been classified as a Site of Public Interest. History Its founding resulted from the fertile lands and agricultural harvests in the area, influenced by the confluence of three watercourses that fed the Trancão River in the lowlands of Loures. The settlement was founded sometime between the 3rd and 4th century, and remained occupied until the 7th century. The villa benefited from the proximity of the river, which was navigable, provided a water supply and facilitated fishing. Above all the river ensured that its land was highly fertile. It was about 2 kilometres from the bridge of the road that connected Olisipo to Conímbriga, the large Roman settlement to the north, near present-day Coimbra. Vestiges from the Middle Ages suggest that the site continued to have an important place in the agrarian community, even as it started to decline. It has been interpreted that the segmentation of the property could have led to the founding of Frielas in the late Moorish occupation (sometime in the 12th century). It is clear that the Roman buildings continued to be occupied in the Medieval era (from the appearance of clay pots and the reorientation of spaces within the compounds, including the construction of silos). From the Moorish period a burial stone was discovered (in the 19th century) a short distance from the archaeological excavation. The Islamic community remained in this area as late as the Reconquista and vestiges until 1147, from this period that are groups of ceramics dating to the 9th and 10th century. Following the Reconquista, Frielas was transformed into the centre of the region, and the former Roman villa was destroyed by Castilian troops in 1383. This included an important tower, annex the main building, that guarded the road to Lisbon. The residential building was never rebuilt, even after the Count of Ribeira Grande made an attempt in the 17th century. The ruins scarred