Lousa Castle ( Port. Castelo da Lousa ) is a medieval castle in the Nossa Senhora da Luz Fregezia of the city of Moran in the Evora district of Portugal .
| Castle | |
| Lowes Castle | |
|---|---|
| Castelo da lousa | |
 | |
| A country |  Portugal |
| Freesia | Nossa Senhora da Lush, Évora |
| Established | II-I century BC |
| Status | National monument |
| condition | satisfactory |
| Site | monumentos.pt/Site/APP_P... |
History
The castle (more precisely, the fort, due to its small size) was built on a cliff top and dominates the Guadiana River Valley. It was erected during the Roman rule from slate blocks and has a rectangular shape. Archaeological excavations made it possible to date its construction by the 2nd-1st centuries BC.
On June 3, 1970 , the castle ruins were declared a national monument. By that time, the surroundings of the castle were flooded with a lake formed during the construction of the Alkeva Dam, which generates electricity for Alentejo .
With the signing of the Protocol of Cooperation between the administration of the Alkeva Hydroelectric Power Station and the Portuguese Institute of Archeology (IPA) on June 4, 1997 , seventeen groups were formed consisting of archaeologists, scientists and students who conducted research and excavations in the area. During the excavations, more than two hundred artifacts created during the Paleolithic and the Middle Ages were discovered.
As a result of excavations, a fort conservation program for future generations was adopted. To this end, the foot of the hill was reinforced with a special composition of cement and sand to avoid washing out the base of the fort with water.
In addition, between 1998 and 2003 , after the resettlement of residents from the old village of Lush to a new place near the fort, a museum was opened dedicated to the history of human development in the region.
The fort itself is currently closed to visitors.