Center for Valorization of the Campaniça Viola and Improvised Singing - "O Lagar" Tavern and Viola Construction Workshop

Category: Culture and Entertainment > Community Centre

District: Beja > Odemira > São Martinho das Amoreiras > Quinta dos Carvoeiros

Location

The Centre for the Valorization of the Viola Campaniça and Cante de Improviso, which integrates the "O Lagar" Tavern and a Viola Construction Workshop, is serenely situated in the locality of São Martinho das Amoreiras, specifically at Quinta dos Carvoeiros, in the municipality of Odemira, district of Beja. Located in the heart of the Alentejo, this place benefits from a rural and peaceful environment, characterized by the simple beauty of the Alentejo landscape, with its vast fields, cork oaks, and holm oaks, which invite an experience of tranquility and connection with nature and the traditions of the region.

An Alentejo Musical Legacy

This centre is dedicated to the preservation and dynamism of the viola campaniça and the cante de improviso, two cultural expressions intrinsically linked to the identity of the Alentejo. The viola campaniça is a traditional stringed instrument with a unique sound, echoing the melodies and rhythms of the plains. In turn, the cante de improviso represents spontaneity and the richness of popular poetry, where the sung word is born from the moment and lived experience, transmitting ancestral stories, feelings, and knowledge in a unique and engaging way.

The space offers an immersion into this musical heritage, allowing visitors to understand the importance of these artistic manifestations for local and national culture, in an experience that reveals the genuine soul of the Alentejo and its inhabitants.

"O Lagar" Tavern: A Meeting Point

The "O Lagar" Tavern is the social heart of this valorization centre. Its name refers to the original function of a "lagar" (oil or wine press), a rural space traditionally used for the production of olive oil or wine, which has been recovered and adapted here to welcome and celebrate local culture. This rustic and welcoming atmosphere serves as a meeting point, where conversation flows and music, often spontaneously, comes to life, becoming a privileged stage for cante de improviso and for the sharing of knowledge and stories, in a truly communal and authentic environment.

The Art of Viola Construction

Integrated within the centre, the Viola Construction Workshop offers a fascinating glimpse into the artisanal process of creating these instruments. Here, visitors can witness the skill and dedication of the luthiers, observing closely the stages of manufacturing the viola campaniça. It is a place where wood takes shape and voice, and where tradition is kept alive through the hands that shape and give life to each instrument, revealing the labor and passion behind every musical note that emerges from it.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt