Literary and tourist immersion: ESHTE students explore Paredes de Coura and São Miguel de Seide
As part of the Field Lab unit of the postgraduate course in Literary Tourism at ESHTE, an immersion in the territories of Paredes de Coura and São Miguel de Seide (Famalicão) took place between November 14th and 16th, 2025.
The study visit program began at the Paredes de Coura Municipal Archive, emphasizing the documentary collection under its custody, which focuses on the estates of the writer Aquilino Ribeiro and the Dantas Machado family. This collection has allowed for the development of a series of exhibition and publishing activities that greatly strengthen the literary tourism strategy undertaken by the municipality of Paredes de Coura.
The second part of the visit focused on discovering the Mário Cláudio Study Center, located in the rural parish of Venade, in Paredes de Coura. There, participants had the opportunity to learn about an innovative cultural project that connects literature and the surrounding territory, based on cooperative models that optimize territorial cohesion and the development of alternative tourism practices.
The third part highlighted the Casa Grande de Romarigães project, centered on the fictional literary landscape created by Aquilino Ribeiro, which is supported by a set of activities revolving around his narrative. The participants began by visiting the two-story building, next to the chapel, with a square floor plan. This building, once a public school, operated on the initiative of Councillor Miguel Dantas and was subsequently rehabilitated under the auspices of the Paredes de Coura Municipal Council and the writer's family. Thus, they learned more about the history of Aquilino Ribeiro, following a timeline and exploring the interactive displays and screens, which, through near-reality techniques, recreate the chronology of the Casa Grande de Romarigães and the development of its literary landscape. The visit to the chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Amparo, where a short animated film is shown, focusing on Aquilino's relationship with nature, as well as a visit to the surrounding area, itself one of the scenic locations of the novel, allowed the trainees to take an active role in the narrative, as in some unique tourist experiences.
On the last day of the immersion, a visit to Camilo's House in S. Miguel de Seide was undertaken, which proved to be a moment of great cultural enrichment, marked by knowledge, the appreciation of historical memory, and the celebration of Portuguese literature. The visit allowed for direct contact with the life and work of Camilo Castelo Branco, through a carefully guided tour led by Reinaldo Ferreira, who enriched it with passages from Camilo's work, adapted to the atmosphere of each room, making the experience even more vivid, exciting, and memorable.
