Between May and July, a new campaign of archaeological fieldwork was carried out in Vouzela, as part of agreements established between the municipality and NOVA University Lisbon. The work, under the scientific supervision of Fabián Cuesta Gómez, João Luís Veloso and Catarina Tente, was prompted by the need to conduct control excavations prior to the reconstruction of the defensive wall located on Monte de Nossa Senhora do Castelo. As the place name suggests, this hill, now occupied by a chapel dedicated to Nossa Senhora da Esperança, is thought to have been the site during the Middle Ages of the «castrum Alahoueines», the main territorial castle of Lafões, mentioned in written sources since 1019.
Abandoned at some point during the Late Middle Ages, the fortification was already in ruins by the 16th century, when the original chapel was built over them. The building visible today, standing on an imposing artificial platform, is the result of an enlargement carried out in the 19th century. In 2019, part of the northern face of this retaining wall collapsed, exposing medieval structures and archaeological materials.
Monte de Nossa Senhora do Castelo is of considerable heritage importance due to the concentration of archaeological remains on its slopes: two rock-cut graves near the summit and Bronze Age pottery identified during field surveys—an indication reinforced by the site’s proximity to the Baiões/Santa Luzia hillfort, in São Pedro do Sul. Consequently, alongside the clearance of the collapsed section, archaeological test trenches were opened on the northern slope, involving Archaeology students from NOVA FCSH, who excavated three of approximately ten identified stone structures.
The excavated area was interpreted as a residential and working space dating to the High Middle Ages, probably associated with the castle. Two of the structures appear to have been dwellings, from which a substantial quantity of ceramic material was recovered. The third structure was interpreted as an industrial space, possibly related to ore exploitation. Although the study of the settlement is still at a preliminary stage, the results are promising. From an archaeological perspective, productive areas associated with castles remain poorly understood, opening up an exciting new avenue of research.