During the primordial period before Roman occupation, there were various "villae" that were populated in the region. Vila Cardílio, a Luso-Roman settlement was occupied in the first or second century A.D. In it, archaeologists discovered coloured mosaics, coins, sculptures and Latin inscriptions, where one was inscribed with felicitous remarks to the "villa da torre" ("town of the tower"), an expression associated with the plausible origin for the toponymy "Torres Novas". Remains of roman roads can be found north and south of Torres Novas, the latter is thought to be a part of the Olisipo-Bracara Augusta via.