Poço das Freitas Mines, Bobadela

Being the name that historically more often appears associated to the Ancient Mining Complex of the upper Valley of the Tervariver, the mining site of Poço das Freitas is located south of Limarinho, embedded between the banks of Calvão and Sangrinheira streams. Characterized by a pond with a small "island" in the centre, the Poço das Freitas is also related to mining extraction in Roman times, constituting one of the artificial water storage basins that would serve the operating complex. The pond is surrounded by large trenches, on whose slopes gallery entries can be observed. The mining gallerieshave stilted archor quasi frustoconicalsections. We can also find in Poço das Freitasvertical shafts, mostly with square sections. On hill outer surroundings are the ancient deposits of aggregates, corresponding to the heaps proceeding from mining wastes. The Poço das Freitas, as Limarinho (both primary gold deposits) was exploited, extensively, in the Roman era, between the mid-1st century and the 4th century. Theminners focused on the quartzdeposits comprised in the granite, which were dismantled in open pit, giving rise to the trenches and cuts still visible today, torn preferably in N-S direction. In the southern area of the complex, at the site called Carregal, evidence show what may constitute the remaining vestiges of a Roman mining settlement. Poço das Freitas is currently a very important ecological niche, where inhabit a large number of specimens of European Pond Turtle, amongst floristic and faunal species of high value for the study and conservation of the national biodiversity status. The Poço das Freitas Mines integrate the classified defined  by the Portuguese Government as Public Interest Site, promulgated by ministerial order No. 386/2013 (DR, 2nd Series, no. 115 of June 18, 2013), due to its uniqueness and as a fundamental part of the Ancient Mining Complex of the upper Valley of the Terva river, in Boticas.