Vezeira Ecomuseum and the Serra

Category: Civil Architecture > Museum

District: Vila Real > Montalegre > Fafião > Cabril

Location

The Ecomuseum Vezeira e a Serra is located in the village of Fafião, part of the Cabril area, in the municipality of Montalegre. This location provides a setting within a striking landscape, typical of the Barroso mountain range, where the rural environment merges with mountainous nature.

The surrounding area is characterized by terraces and fields that reflect the ancestral relationship between the community and the land. The ecomuseum's position allows for an authentic immersion in the mountain environment and the traditions that have shaped the lives of the local people.

The Legacy of Vezeira

This core of the ecomuseum is dedicated to exploring the vezeira, an ancestral practice of communal herding that is a pillar of Barroso's culture. It is possible to discover how, over centuries, the flocks of various village families were grouped together and cared for collectively, following a rotational grazing system in the high mountain lands.

The space elucidates the ingenuity and cooperation inherent in this tradition, which demonstrates the shared management of natural resources and solidarity among inhabitants. It is an opportunity to understand the importance of collaboration for the sustainability of community life, particularly in a mountainous environment.

Life and Nature of the Mountain

The ecomuseum also offers a perspective on the deep connection between local communities and the mountainous environment. It is possible to understand how daily life, agricultural and pastoral activities, and even traditional architecture, were shaped by the characteristics of the mountain range.

The exhibitions illustrate how inhabitants adapted to the rhythms and challenges imposed by nature, developing unique livelihoods and cultures, deeply connected to the resources and specificities of this unique territory. The site invites reflection on human resilience.

Heritage and Memory

By exploring the Ecomuseum Vezeira e a Serra, visitors encounter the testimony of the cultural identity of the Barroso region, expressed through practices and knowledge passed down through generations. The ecomuseum functions as a guardian of collective memory, preserving knowledge about life in the mountains.

This space plays an essential role in safeguarding local intangible heritage, presenting a narrative about the history and way of life of the people who inhabited and continue to care for these ancient landscapes, keeping alive the traditions that define them.

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