04/02/2026 - Important Roman architectural element discovered in Faro

Archaeological find reveals new information about the Roman town of Ossónoba

As part of a major archaeological excavation project currently underway in the city of Faro, a team from ERA Algarve has identified an architectural feature of exceptional historical significance. It consists of a block bearing an honorary inscription from the Roman period, on which a statue would originally have stood.

Fieldwork has allowed for the identification of the find, its stratigraphic context, and thorough archaeological recording; it will now be removed for more detailed study.

The inscription makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the organisation and public life of Ossónoba – the Roman name for present-day Faro – during the period of Roman occupation. The newly discovered artefact bears witness to the city’s political and social importance in antiquity, reinforcing its role within the context of Roman Lusitania.

We thus continue to reveal, through archaeology, fundamental traces of Faro’s millennia-old past.

ERA Arqueologia will continue its research and preservation efforts on this heritage, and the results will be shared with both the scientific community and the general public in due course.