Monastic History

14 December 2023

The purpose of this project was to study and analyse the illuminated liturgical manuscripts produced in the Monastery of Alcobaça, the largest and most visited Cistercian Monastery in Portugal, between the end of the 12th and the 16th century.

The project revealed new insights into the internal life of the community, its relations with other monasteries, and especially the liturgical functions of the monastic spaces and how they changed over centuries. A  total of 96 tourist guides have received training on these latest scientific discoveries, enriching the experience of an estimated 4950 visitors over the course of three years (2020-2022). Audiences from 5-18 years old were also engaged through workshops, both at the monastery and at various schools.

Recently, the team of researchers from NOVA FCSH coordinated by Catarina Fernandes Barreira extended the project to Lorvão, another Cistercian monastery, and plans to continue providing training at both sites and beyond.

Read the full article here

 

SDG Target 11.4-Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage