On June 21, the CONVENTUS project team took part in the “4º Encontro Memória para Todos: Memórias para a Sustentabilidade, Territórios e Comunidades",  held at the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences of NOVA University Lisbon – Colégio Almada Negreiros, Campolide Campus.

As part of the session entitled “Memory Spaces”, the team presented a paper that shared the experience of the CONVENTUS project in the collection, preservation, and dissemination of memories related to the former Convent of São José in Lagoa. The presentation contributed to a broader reflection on the role of both individual and collective memory in promoting strategies for the recognition, enhancement, and protection of historical, natural, and cultural heritage.

The communication, titled “There Is Life in the Former Convent: The Challenges of Participatory Research in the CONVENTUS Project, Lagoa (Algarve)”, was delivered by the project coordinators on behalf of the entire team.

The presentation explored the structure, methodological framework, and early results of the CONVENTUS project. It emphasized the way the project intertwines archival historiographical research with oral history and biographical inquiry, in order to reconstruct not only the historical trajectory of the building itself, but also the lived experiences of the communities that have inhabited and shaped it. This includes the many uses and meanings the convent has acquired over time, with active engagement from the local community.