Ricardo Encarnação is only 11 years old, but he already knows he wants to be an archaeologist. He discovered it last summer, when, for the first time, he volunteered to – during his holidays, which he always spent at his grandparents' house, in Alferce, a village in the municipality of Monchique – help with the work taking place on top of that hill.
At 10 am on a Thursday morning, Ricardo was already excavating in that area with the aim of trying to find anything else used by the Moors or prehistoric people, but he was not the only one.
It was there, in that place, that Fábio Capela, archaeologist at Monchique City Council, and other colleagues, began to dedicate themselves in 2020 to excavations to assess the potential of these areas that had never before been the subject of in-depth study.
At that time, no one imagined that what was left of that fortification, which to the eyes of laymen could appear to be just stones, could serve as a lever for other large investments made in that village: the Alferce Castle Viewpoint, opened in April, right next to the archaeological excavations, the Barranco do Demo walkway, opened in October last year, and, soon, the Alferce Castle Interpretive Center.
«This place is already open to the public, but now, on August 31st, as part of the Open Day, we will inaugurate the Interpretive Center and offer guided tours», explained Fábio Capela to Sul Informação, as part of a visit to the site, this Thursday, August 22nd.
According to the archaeologist, the site is, at the moment, «a major tourist attraction».
«Let's say that the lever of this entire tourist project here in Alferce is the Castle itself, everything else came together. The construction of the Walkway, which connects the village to the Castle, the Viewpoint, and now the third phase, which is the Interpretive Center. In the midst of all this, excavations always take place in the summer and this is also a way of bringing people here because they know that, every year, we will uncover new areas», he continued.
The time of year chosen for the work is due not only to the weather conditions, but also to the fact that they work with volunteers from universities, who have holidays between July and September.
«They end up having practical training, because they have subjects that require field work, and we, in addition to teaching, because this works as a “field-school”, we have their help in terms of labor to put structures in place. discovered», stressed Fábio Capela.
Maria Batista, a student at the University of Algarve, is one of the many young people who have been here.
At the age of 20, with the course completed, this is the second year that he has carried out excavations at Alferce Castle.
«The place, but also what I learned here, was what captivated me the most and encouraged me to return», she says, admitting that this place has helped her realize that she likes the «medieval-Islamic» period and that it brings her «some magic ».
While they are here doing volunteer work, the young people have guaranteed food and accommodation, only needing to take transport to Alferce.
As someone from the Algarve, but who knew little about Monchique until then, Maria admits that these investments made in the interior are «a huge added value».
Who also thinks so is José Vinagre, 26 years old, who, unlike Maria, was always closer to the interior than the coast, if he weren't from Évora.
When asked what brought him here, he says that he came here to excavate for the first time in 2021 and fell in love with the space and the team.
«Since then, I have been gaining skills, experience, evolving in the area... and in 2023 the opportunity arose to be able to do my master's thesis here. How did this opportunity arise, last year I joined the project coordination team and from there I developed the internship, I was also working at the Chamber, they liked my work and gave me a contract until the end of the year", he revealed to our newspaper.
Despite not being from the region, José Vinagre says he already feels at home in Monchique and, therefore, is quite satisfied with the way in which the village of Alferce is being valued.
«This is an added value for everyone. I remember that, in the first years of the campaign, people didn't pay much attention to us, they said this was a “pile of stones”, now they say it is “our castle” and ask about new discoveries and how it is evolving. Then, as we are lucky enough to have kids from the village, people see that they like being here and that I also think was good for our relationship with the population», concludes the young man.
In statements to the Sul Informação, José Gonçalves, president of the Alferce Parish Council, also talks about the benefits that both the Passadiço and the Miradouro brought to the village which, since then, has had «more people, more businesses and more commerce».
Marta Diogo, owner of Real 13, a café located right at the entrance to Alferce, couldn't agree more. The business, which opened a year ago, even before the Walkway was inaugurated, felt the positive impact.
«In the summer, there is a decline, because, with the heat, people escape from here a little, but at other times of the year it is very noticeable that those who come here are also coming to take the walks and stop for lunch or a snack» , account.
At this moment, in addition to the inauguration of the Castle Interpretive Center, a new feature is planned on the Walkway: a via ferrata.
According to the president of the Board, the project is in the award phase and «by the end of the year it will be assembled and will be more attractive».
Photos: Mariana Sedge | Sul Informação
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