About this project

Patrimónios is an independent editorial project devoted to the study and dissemination of the cultural heritage of Portugal. It is neither an official inventory nor a tourist guide: it is a set of essays that seek to explain what makes each place, each period and each technique significant.

Scope

We are interested in heritage in its broadest sense — architecture and urbanism, archaeology, the decorative arts such as the azulejo, but also intangible heritage and the very processes by which a society decides what is worth conserving. We work mostly with mainland Portugal, with excursions into the theory of conservation that gives it its framework.

Method

Each text is original and written from scratch. We favour clarity over ostentatious erudition: we cite when it is useful, we always contextualise, and we point to reference works in Publications. Factual claims rest on recognised academic sources; interpretive readings are acknowledged as such.

Sources and images

The images come from the public domain or from collections under a Creative Commons licence, with attribution and the relevant licence indicated. Whenever we reproduce a photograph, we identify the author and the source. The texts are the responsibility of the project.

Languages

The site is published in five languages — Portuguese, English, French, Spanish and German —, the most widely represented among those who visit Portugal and those interested in its heritage.