Rehabilitation of the Monastery of São João de Cabanas, Afife, Viana do Castelo

The former Monastery of São João de Cabanas stands on the south bank of the river Cabanas in the parish of Afife, municipality of Viana do Castelo (Portugal). It was founded in the Middle Ages, although the current building is the product of a reconstruction a fundamentis begun in 1725. Following the dissolution of the Portuguese monasteries it became private property and in the twentieth century it was the home of the poet and ethnographer Pedro Homem de Mello. It was classified as a Public Interest Building in 1997. The aim of the rehabilitation project was to restore the site with a view to its adaptation to a program of tourist accommodation linked to gastronomy and catering, and as a venue for events. The restoration design and works were guided by a historical study and an architectural and constructional characterization of the building along with archaeological studies and a thorough analysis of the building pathology. A knowledge of the building’s characteristics was vital to a project that was intended to be informed and holistic, with the use of traditional building details, materials and techniques, assuring the maintenance of the site’s distinctive qualities and heritage values.