Monastery of the Capuchins in Alferrara, Portugal

Abstract

In the place of Alferrara, a slope overlooking the city of Setúbal - Portugal, relies the 1578 Monastery of Our Lady of Conceição of the Franciscan Capuchins monks, here simply named the Monastery of the Capuchins. These monks decided to fully devote themselves to a religious life, away from society, living either alone (as hermits) or, later, in an organized community. The situation found in 2010, of decay and vandalism, called for an urgent establishment of emergency procedures to stop the decay, to prevent collapse and to minimise further development of decline.The intervention in the Monastery of the Capuchins in Alferrara, Portugal, was selected as Best Practice Architectural Examples at the EU-funded project SOAR for Security by Design (SBD) for Places of Worship. We believe that cultural heritage not only refers to material remnants, such as ruined churches and convents, but also to intangible elements including sense of place, memories, faith, and character of place. We further believe that local communities, groups, and some specific individuals who use religious heritage places are important actors in the processes of safeguarding, maintenance, and transmission of cultural heritage from the past, including their secure and qualified use and/or adaptation for contemporary needs, purposes, and pleasures.