Title

Author(s)

Rita Vasco

Affiliation

Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco – Escola Superior de Artes Aplicadas

DOI

https://doi.org/10.65686/WYBY8443

Keywords

Castelo Mendo, Memory, Architectural Restoration

PP

982-989

How to Cite

Vasco, Rita. “Memory. Territory. Identity Church of Santa Maria do Castelo.” In Proceedings of the International Conference on Adaptive Reuse. Volume 1, edited by Andrea Crudeli, Francesca Molle, and Emanuele Carrai, 982–989. Firenze: STH Press, 2026.

Abstract

The debate on methodologies of intervention in architectural heritage gained momentum from the late eighteenth century, alongside the emergence of the very notion of heritage itself. The central questions—why restore, what to restore, and how to restore—remain crucial today. From the outset, diverse approaches were considered: introducing contemporary alterations, leaving structures untouched, or reconstructing them archaeologically. Internationally, the 1964 Venice Charter introduced a new concept of intervention, distinct from the existing object, contributing to its valorisation. Many reuse projects, however, neutralised original structures, reducing them to mere “containers” for new functions. Although respectful of the past, such practices still enabled the consolidation of heritage contexts. In the 1970s, debates resurfaced, challenging the rigidity of the Venice Charter and advocating for case-by-case planning, supported by multidisciplinary teams and tailored safeguarding strategies. The Krakow Charter of 2000 later addressed landscapes and historic centres, urging integrated approaches to tangible and intangible heritage, and highlighting cultural tourism as both an opportunity and a risk.

Today, cultural tourism has become the main justification for interventions. While often regarded as a solution to the challenges facing heritage contexts, it must be approached with caution. The same tourism that fosters local development can also distort the perception and consumption of heritage sites. This is evident in the musealisation of architecture, particularly in ruins such as the Church of Santa Maria do Castelo in Castelo Mendo. Here, exposure as an object of display risks disconnecting the monument from its original meanings, weakening its role in collective memory.

Considering memory as a human repository guiding intervention, it becomes necessary to question the design choices behind the successive works at this church—especially the decision to preserve and consolidate it as a ruin within the wider framework of the Historical Villages of Portugal Programme. Within this framework, the case is discussed as a critical contribution to the debate on adaptive reuse, questioning whether the deliberate preservation of ruin may itself constitute a conscious design strategy.

Edited by
Andrea Crudeli
Francesca Molle
Emanuele Carrai

Publisher
STH Press, Firenze

ISBN Paperback – 9791281661141
ISBN Ebook – 9791281661158
DOI – https://doi.org/10.65686/SISY7263

Year
2026

Proceedings of
International Conference on Adaptive Reuse
hosted by The University of Pisa, Italy
15-19 September 2025, at the Gispoteca di Arte Antica dell’Università di Pisa.