As part of the methodological framework of the project, between October 2023 and June 2024, the necessary conditions were established for conducting a broad set of face-to-face semi-structured interviews with members of the local community in the Municipality of Lagoa.

Following an interview guide previously defined around three key themes relevant to the study, the interviews were conducted in locations chosen by the team’s sociologist responsible for this component, Gabriela Vieira, together with each interviewee.

The result?

A total of 34 interviews with local community members who experienced and witnessed the various phases in the life of the Convent—from the mid-20th century to the present. Throughout each interview, participants shared personal and collective memories and experiences, allowing us to understand the many lives of the building and its significance to the local community from multiple perspectives, both in terms of memory and the meanings and values of this built heritage.