Article
Virtual reconstruction beyond the past: heritagefuture-making at the Capuchos convent in Alferrara, Portugal
— 2026 — International Journal of Heritage Studies
Key information
Authors:
Published in
August 28, 2026
Abstract
While virtual reconstruction commonly aims to visualise the past,this article argues that its knowledge production can also contri-bute to heritage future-making. We explore this in the ruins of theCapuchos Convent in Alferrara, Portugal, a largely forgotten sitefounded by Franciscan friars in the sixteenth century. After nearlytwo centuries of abandonment, and midway through a 25-yearrecovery plan, the site’s identity is being reconsidered throughnew trajectories and heritage programmes that echo past useswhile responding to increasing drought and water scarcity in south-ern Portugal. These include selective recovery, curated decay, andagricultural learning rather than total restoration. Key to this is theconvent’s sophisticated gravity-fed hydraulic system. Currentlyinactive, its network of mines, channels, conduits, and storagetanks allowed the former community to inhabit and cultivate thelandscape across centuries. Combining non-invasive digital survey-ing with comparative analysis and local testimony, we clarify theremaining fragments of this system while showing how this knowl-edge identifies pathways for further interpretation and reactivation.The research contributes to underdeveloped discussions on virtualreconstruction as heritage practice by showing how knowledgegenerated from derelict and forgotten sites can inform future-oriented decisions about interpretation, selective intervention,and possible reuse in the Anthropocene.
Publication details
Authors in the community:
Jesse Rafeiro
ist429361
Ana Paula Filipe Tomé
ist24777
Publisher
International Journal of Heritage Studies
Link to the publisher's version
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13527258.2026.2723873
Fields of Science and Technology (FOS)
history-and-archaeology - History and archaeology
Keywords
- Virtual reconstruction;heritage future
- waterheritage
- conventarchitecture
- Anthropocene
Publication language (ISO code)
eng - English
Rights type:
Open access
Financing entity
HORIZON EUROPE Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions
Title of the project, award or grant: Reviving Monastic Water Management to Safeguard Environmental and Cultural Heritage in Alferrara, Portugal
Funding Stream: European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme
Identifier for the funding entity: https://doi.org/10.13039/100018694
Type of identifier of the funding entity: Crossref Funder
Number for the project, award or grant: 101207766
Financing entity
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
Title of the project, award or grant: Reviving Monastic Hydraulic Systems for Heritage and Climate Resilience in Alferrara, Portugal
Funding Stream: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
Identifier for the funding entity: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100001691
Type of identifier of the funding entity: Crossref Funder
Number for the project, award or grant: 25K17761
Financing entity
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Title of the project, award or grant: Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Engenharia Civil para a Sustentabilidade
Funding Stream: Avaliação UID 2023/2024 https://sciproj.ptcris.pt/177134UID
Identifier for the funding entity: https://doi.org/10.13039/501100001871
Type of identifier of the funding entity: Crossref Funder
Number for the project, award or grant: UID/6438/2025