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About Portugal

Portugal places in the southwest of Europe and it is formed by three territorial areas: the archipelagos of Madeira and the Azores and the mainland with 18 districts. It has a total area of 92,072 km² and over 10 million inhabitants. It is located in the Iberian Peninsula and its coast is bathed by the Atlantic Ocean.

The nation’s capital city is Lisbon. Its history is noticeable for the discoveries of the Portuguese navigators. Therefore, the Portuguese Culture suffered many influences, but maintained its individuality and distinction.

Those who visit the country are immediately seduced by its typical nostalgic music, the most famous and traditional Fado, which was elevated to Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in a declaration adopted at the Sixth Intergovernmental Committee of this international organization, held in Bali, Indonesia, between 22 and 29 November 2011.

There are a wide range of visual arts in Portugal, starting with the Paleolithic Graffiti found in the Côa Valley, to the paint of the most famous contemporary artist, Paula Rêgo.

The most prestigious cultural heritage of the country is its architectural art. With an infinite variety of popular constructions, often covered with “tiles”, with the typical blue pottery, the works of the late Gothic period, the “Manueline”, or examples of Baroque architecture are remarkable. This wealth has been recognized by UNESCO, which declared some Portuguese cities as World Heritage.

In modern architecture there are architects with international recognition, such as Eduardo Souto Moura, Alvaro Siza, Goncalo Byrne and Tomás Taveira.

In recent decades, some Portuguese footballers as Eusébio, Luis Figo, Rui Costa and Cristiano Ronaldo achieved worldwide fame as well.

The President of the Republic, elected by universal suffrage for a term of five years, has limited powers.

The parliament consists of 230 deputies elected for a term of four years.

During the months of June, July and August are celebrated, all over the country, several festivities dedicated to the so-called Popular Saints (like St. Peter, St. Anthony, St. John), in which deserve the dances and popular singing have the leading role.

Portugal joined the EU in 1986.

More information: https://www.visitportugal.com/en

A Short History of Portugal

Portugal is a small country situated in the extreme West of Europe in close contact with the Atlantic Ocean. This contact marks the main stage of its history. Portuguese people ventured out to the sea, giving birth to the epic of the discoveries. However, the history of Portugal goes back to the XII Century (1128), when its first king (D. Afonso Henriques) achieved independence from the kingdom of Castile and Leon.
Away from the military conflict with the Castilians, it was time to expand the borders to the south, conquering land to the Muslims that had been installed in the South of the Iberian Peninsula since the VIII Century (711).

This process, called reconquest, is completed in the middle of the XIII Century, definitely fixing its frontiers in 1297 (Treaty of Alcanises defines the border between Portugal and Castile), which remained relatively stable until today.

From the beginning of the XV Century the extensive Portuguese coast served as incentive for the Portuguese navigators, who ventured out into the unknown, and thus building a vast overseas empire. The process of discovery begins in 1415 with the conquest of Ceuta and ends up in 1543 with the arrival of the Portuguese to Japan.

In this period there were important events, such as the discovery of the island of Porto Santo (1418) by João Gonçalves Zarco; the island of Madeira by João Vaz Teixeira; the five islands that constitute the core group of the Azores archipelago by Diogo de Silves, sailing beyond the Cape of Good Hope (Cabo da Boa Esperança) by Bartolomeu Dias (1487), the discovery of the sea route to India by Vasco da Gama (1498), the discovery of Brazil by Pedro Álvares Cabral (1500), among many other achievements that could be noted and that gradually forged an empire in history, spread by the 5 Continents.

Between 1580 and 1640 Portugal was again under the purview of Castile, having regained its independence with the ascent to the throne in December 1st 1640 of D. John IV, Duke of Bragança. The Bragança dynasty reigned in Portugal until 1910, date on which the Portuguese Republic was implemented.
In recent years Portugal lived throughout various crises and was devoid of its prominent role that enjoyed in the Far East until 1580; like the Lisbon earthquake in 1755, French invasions (1807–1809 and 1810–11), or the independence of Brazil (1822).

The recent history of Portugal is marked by the establishment of an authoritarian political regime called Estado Novo (1933–1974) and its final defeat in April 25th 1974, through the acclaimed “Carnation Revolution” (Revolução dos Cravos). It was a military coup carried out peacefully, and the red carnation that soldiers displayed in their rifles became its major symbol.

A consequence of the democratization process of Portuguese politics, which began with the “Carnation Revolution”, was the opening of Portugal to Europe. In March of 1977 the process of negotiations for accession to the European Economic Community (current EC-European Commission) started and it was completed in June 1985 with the signing of the accession treaty.

Heritage

The history of Portugal left indelible marks on the culture of the country, being notable the diverse influences that formed a rich and diverse heritage. From North to South there are innumerable monuments that speak for different moments of the Portuguese history.

Even before becoming independent from Castile, the Portuguese territory was occupied by people of different cultures, which since prehistory were leaving their mark. Example of that are the engravings of Vila Nova de Foz Côa, traces of human occupation of the Upper Palaeolithic, which are worldly famous.
In the period of the Neolithic abound the megalithic monuments of various typologies. The more widespread are the Menhirs (near the town of Monsaraz: Menhir of Bulhoa, of the Outeiro, Herdade dos Perdigões, Herdade das Vidigueiras), the Cromlechs (Almendres, Xarez, etc.) and the Dolmens (Antas) (Anta Grande do Zambujeiro in Valverde – Évora, Anta of Pavia in Mora-Évora, Anta Grande of Commendation of the Church in Montemor-o-Novo (Anta Grande da Comenda da Igreja em Montemor-o-Novo), Dolmen Barrosa in Vila Praia de Âncora-Viana do Castelo, etc.).

From the iron age the most characteristic monuments are the Castros that populate the mountains of Northern Portugal (Citânia de Briteiros situated on top of the hill of São Romão, in the parish of Salvador de Briteiros, Guimarães municipality; Citânia de Santa Luzia in Viana do Castelo-Monte de Santa Luzia, etc.)
With the passage of the Romans, the more living testimonies are possibly the ruins of Conímbriga. Traces of Roman passage can also be found in Pax Julia (the name of the city of Beja, Portugal, at the time of the Roman domination of the Iberian Peninsula); Aquæ Flaviæ (Roman designation of the current city of Chaves) and Bracara Augusta (the Roman city, founded by César Augusto in 27 a.c., which would later give rise to the modern city of Braga).

The Islamic presence in the South lasted more than 5 centuries, so it is possible to find several monuments from this period (Church of Our Lady of the Annunciation, also referred to as Church of Mértola, in the Alentejo located in the parish, town and municipality of Mértola, district of Beja; Paderne Castle in the Algarve; Bridge from the town of Faro, etc.).

From medieval times it stands out a rich architectural heritage, both military (Castle of Guimarães, Moncorvo Tower; Castle of Castro Cabreiro, etc.) and religious. They are frequent, especially in Northern Portugal, Romanesque constructions (S. Pedro de Rates, Sanfins de Friestas, S. Salvador de Brasões, etc.), while in the South the great Gothic buildings dominate (monastery of Alcobaça, Batalha monastery, monastery of Santa Clara in Coimbra, popularly known as the Convent of Santa Clara-a-Velha, located on the left bank of the Mondego River, close to the downtown of the city of Coimbra, the Convent of São Francisco in the city of Porto).

The period of discovery was the motto for the formation of a decorative and sculptural style that accompanies the final Gothic (Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, Torre de Belém, Convent of Christ in Tomar).
It follows the Baroque period (Mafra National Palace, Clérigos Tower, Solar de Mateus), that in Portugal presents peculiar characteristics as the valorisation of gilded woodcarvings (Altar-Mor of the Cathedral of Braga, the interior of the Tibães Monastery and Convent of São Francisco in Porto), and tiling (the Carmo Church in Porto, Azulejaria do Jardim do Poço in Castelo Branco).

In the XIX Century occurs the romanticism, a period of great imagination (Pena Palace, Quinta da Regaleira, Palacete de Monserrate in Sintra), in which it is still possible to find examples of iron and glass architecture, as the D. Luís Bridge in Porto, the interior of the Museum of Electricity in Lisbon, or the Rossio station, also in Lisbon; or even Art Nouveau.

In the first half of the XX Century, the Portuguese architecture oscillates between the official language of the new State (Eden Theatre, Reitoria da Cidade Universitária, or the Casa da Moeda), and the first echoes of modernism (Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation building, or the States Quarter in Alvalade).

The second half of the century, in particular from the “Carnation Revolution”, is marked by the work of two Portuguese architects, who were awarded the Pritzker Prize: Álvaro Siza Vieira (1992), who created real milestones in the history of Portuguese and international architecture, such as the Boa Nova tea house, the Piscina das Marés in Leça da Palmeira, the Serralves Museum, the Church of Marco de Canaveses, the Municipal Library of Viana do Castelo; and Eduardo Souto Moura (2011) with the works of the Braga Municipal Stadium, the Casa das Histórias in Cascais, Casa das Artes in Porto, the Santa Maria do Bouro Guest-House, Trindade Metro Station, the Centro of Arte Contemporânea de Bragança, the Hotel of Bom Sucesso in Óbidos, the Market place of Braga, the Marginal of Matosinhos-South, the Crematorium of Kortrijk (Belgium), the Pavilhão of Portugal in the 11th Venice Architecture Biennale (Italy), and the Casa Llabia (Spain).

Religion and Language

Portuguese people are mostly Catholic, but the Portuguese Constitution guarantees religious freedom, translated in the coexistence, in Portugal, of various religious cults.

Of a Latin root, the Portuguese language is the third most spoken European language in the world with about 200 million speakers. The Portuguese-speaking countries are spread all over the four corners of the world: Africa (Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and Sao Tome and Principe), South America (Brazil), and Asia (East Timor). In Portugal a good part of the citizens have also communication skills in English, French and Spanish.

Weather

The climate in Portugal varies significantly from region to region, being influenced by topographic relief, latitude and the proximity of the sea, providing mild winters, especially in the Algarve region.

In the North of Portugal, Beira Alta, Beira Baixa and Beira Litoral, especially in the areas close to Spain, winters are colder, although the temperatures are moderate, when compared to the rest of Europe. There is some snowfall, more frequent in Serra da Estrela, the highest point of Portugal continental (1991m), where it is possible to find conditions for ski.

Summers are hot and dry, especially in inland regions (Trás-os-montes and Alentejo), and on the coast the heat is moderated by the maritime influence. During the Autumn sunny days with mild temperatures are often, which, when occurring at the beginning of November, tend to be popularly referred to as “the summer of Saint Martin” due to the proximity of the date, in which Saint Martin is celebrated (11th of November).

Time Zone

The time zone in continental Portugal, during the winter, is the time of the Meridian of Greenwich, commonly known as Western European time or Universal Time (TU); in early summer, this time is advanced in 60 minutes.

Winter time corresponds to the period between the last Sunday of October and the last Sunday of the following March; summer time includes the period between the last Sunday of March and the last Sunday of the following October.

Banks and Currency

Portugal is a founding member of the euro zone, so its currency is the Euro (EUR).
Bank branches in Portugal are open between the 8:30 a.m. at 15:00 p.m., from Monday to Friday. Debit card (MB) payment is one of the most widely accepted in Portugal. There are also ATM machines (Multibanco), which accept a wide variety of cards.

About Vila Nova de Cerveira

Vila Nova de Cerveira lies in the Northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, in the District of Viana do Castelo, on the left bank of Minho river, bordering to the North by the municipality of Valença; to the East by the municipality of Paredes de Coura and Ponte de Lima; to the South with the municipality of Caminha and the West with the Minho river and the nearby Galicia (Spain).

As an historical village, predominantly rural, with some industries developed in recent years, Vila Nova de Cerveira is known as the Portuguese Village of the Arts, as it presents a high artistic and cultural dynamism, giving emphasis to the prestigious International Biennial of Arts. Held here since 1978, the International Biennial of Arts attracts many visitors and renowned national and international artists.
Their palatial emblazoned houses, and the typical Minho manor houses grant Vila Nova de Cerveira a manorial character, which denote its significance and economical power over the centuries, as well as it enriches the beauty of the village, wrapped itself in an idyllic environment of lush mountains and bountiful water courses.

It is suggested a visit to the Castle of the Village, to the parish Church and to the Chapel of Mercy, or to contemplate, from the hill-top, a remarkable iron sculpture, made by the sculptor José Rodrigues, symbolizing the Deer of Vila Nova de Cerveira.
The gastronomy of the region is influenced by the quality and richness of the river, where dishes, such as the lamprey, shad or mullet are much appreciated.

Accomodation

Sharing a house or a room is a common practice, and generally more economical than individual renting. Information about apartments and/or rooms for renting can be found in the ESG, posted on notice boards, or in real estate agencies.

It is necessary to define a location for overnight stay before arriving at Vila Nova de Cerveira. The youth hostel, 10 minutes walking from ESG, might be a good option for the first few days in Portugal. The youth hostel offers two room types: the double and multiple (6 people), and the night cost is approximately 13€ (multiple room), including breakfast.

Living Cost

In Vila Nova de Cerveira, village of rural features, it is possible to find the small traditional commerce, the municipal market of fresh foods (opening hours: 9h/12:30 am and 2h/6h pm), the weekly market (Saturday), and super- and hypermarkets.

Most street shops are open from Monday to Friday, between the 9:00 am and the 6:00 pm, closing for lunch between 12:30 pm and 14:00 pm.

Supermarkets and hypermarkets are open every day, including Sundays and holidays.
Below are listed some indicative amounts, referring to the cost of living in Vila Nova de Cerveira:

Accommodation:
* Room in apartment – between 190€ and 230€/month

Food:

• Mineral Water (0,5 lt) – 0.90
• Coffee – 0.60 (ESG 0.40)
• Cake – 0.80
• Bread – 0.11 cents;
• Sandwich – 1.30
• Meal – 6 € (includes bread, soup, 1 fish dish or meat dish)

Other amounts:

• Daily Newspaper – from 1,30€
• Public Transportation: Train – from Viana do Castelo to Vila Nova de Cerveira, ca. 3,80€; Taxi – fare 3 € (during the day); Bus – from Viana do Castelo to Vila Nova de Cerveira, ca. 6.80€.

Sport and Leisure

Near ESG there is the Municipal Swimming Pool, which includes equipment for the practice of several sports.

There is also a Sports Pavilion for the practice of various physical activities, and several green spaces for recreation and outdoor sport activities.

For more information on Vila Nova de Cerveira: http://www.cm-vncerveira.pt/portal/page/vilanovadecerveira/portal_municipal/Turismo

Useful Contacts

International access telephone code: 00351

Emergency services:

• National Institute of medical emergency (INEM) | 112
• Health 24 | 800 242 424
• Fire-fighters Headquarters in Vila Nova de Cerveira | 251 795 315
• Emergency line for forest fires | 117
• Civil Protection | 925 490 427 | proteccao.civil@cm-vncerveira.pt
• Health Centre in Vila Nova de Cerveira | 251 795 289
• National Republican Guard in Vila Nova de Cerveira | 251 795 113
• Taxi in Vila Nova de Cerveira | 251 797 120
• Railway station in Vila Nova de Cerveira | 251 726 265
• Tourism Office | 251 708 023 | turismo@cm-vncerveira.pt
• Municipal Library | 251 708 024 | | Email: biblioteca@cm-vncerveira.pt
• Municipal Swimming Pool | 251 708 025 | desporto@cm-vncerveira.pt
• Migrant support Office | 251 708 071 | gae@cm-vncerveira.pt
• Youth Hostel | 251 796 113 | cerveira@movijovem.pt

HOW TO GET TO PORTUGAL | VILA NOVA DE CERVEIRA

The privileged geographical situation of Portugal makes it transfer point for many foreign airlines.
It can be reached through various transports, such as the car, the train, the boat or the plane.
The main Portuguese airports are Francisco Sá Carneiro International Airport, located in the city of Porto; the international airport of Lisbon (Lisbon/Loures), Aeroporto da Portela de Sacavém, and Faro International Airport, in the Algarve.

To get to Vila Nova de Cerveira you can use:

Bus (Expressos): from Lisbon (418 Km), from Porto (103 Km), from Faro (681 Km);

Train: Inter-Regional, Regional and international trains.

The bus and train stations in Vila Nova de Cerveira distance a 10-minute walk from ESG.

Car: A22-A2 (from Faro) – A1 (from Lisbon) – A3 (from Porto) / A28 to Vila Nova de Cerveira.

You can also arrive at Portugal through Spain, using the airport of Vigo, 43 km north of Vila Nova de Cerveira, or the airport of Santiago de Compostela, at 139 Km from Vila Nova de Cerveira.

About ESG/ Escola Superior Gallaecia

ESG/ Escola Superior Gallaecia is a private University established by the FCO/ Orada Convent Foundation, a Foundation for the protection and rehabilitation of Architectural Heritage. The Foundation is governed by its own statutes, and its subsequent updates, and it is recognised in the Official State Gazette, 3rd series, no. 284, December 10th 1988. The Foundation develops activity within university, post-university education, research and consultancy in the fields of architecture, urban design, sustainability, ecology, heritage, design, arts, architectural heritage and landscape protection, and the promotion of international and inter-institutional cultural events.

Assessment

ESG’s teaching is based on a combination of theoretical (exhibition by the professor) and theoretical-practical (exhibition by professor and student’s active participation) lessons, case studies, seminars, conferences, and practical classes in labs or studios.
The number of students per class is reduced, so as to allow a greater participation and integration of the students.

Tuition at ESG requires an in-person training resulting, afterwards, at the end of each semester, in a continuous assessment grade, measured quantitatively on a scale between 0 and 20 values. In addition to this continuous assessment, there are two moments of appeal evaluation:

1- The regular moment of appeal evaluation takes place at the end of each semester, according to the academic calendar approved by the Scientific Council for each academic year, taking into account the following:

a) Appeal assessment is mandatory for students, who obtained, in the continuous assessment, an evaluation grade higher than seven (7) values, inclusive, and lower than twelve (12) values.
b) Students, who scored less than seven (7) values in the continuous assessment of any Curricular Unit, have automatically failed, and are not allowed to enrol in the regular moment of appeal evaluation.
c) Exempted students (who obtained marks equal or higher than twelve (12) values) are allowed to enrol in the regular moment of appeal evaluation, so as to improve their grade;

2- At the end of the semester, according to the academic calendar approved by the Scientific Council, occurs the special evaluation moment of appeal for all of the curricular units of the semester, taking into account the following:
a) The special evaluation moment of appeal is open to all students who obtained, in the continuous assessment evaluation, a classification equal or higher than seven (7) values, and less than twelve (12) values.
b) Students, who scored less than seven (7) values in the continuous assessment of any Curricular Unit, have automatically failed and are not allowed to enrol in the special moment of appeal evaluation,
c) Exempted students (who obtained marks equal or higher than twelve (12) values) are allowed to enrol in the special moment of appeal evaluation, so as to improve their marks. Only two improving exams per curricular unit are allowed.

Exchange and Mobility students can take exams upon the same conditions as local students.

The examinations can be written, practical and/or oral presentations.

Academic activities are held from Monday to Saturday, usually between the 09:00 am and 08:00 pm.

The Portuguese classification is expressed quantitatively in a scale from 0 to 20 values/ points, being 10 values the minimum rating of approval. In terms of qualitative ranking, it assumes the following intervals and appropriate terminology:

10 to 13 – Satisfactory | 14 and 15 – Good | 16 and 17 – Very good | 18 to 20 – Excellent

Academic calendar

The academic year is divided into 2 semesters, from September to January (1st semester) and from February to June (2nd semester). The exams take place between mid-January and mid-February, and June/July.

Interruption of classes

In addition to summer holidays, during the month of August, the school year observes the following interruptions:

• Christmas vacation – about 10 days, usually between December 23rd and January 1st;
• Easter holidays (3/4 days);
• Other – National holidays: April 25th | Freedom day; May 1st | Labour Day; June 10th | Day of Portugal

Study Programmes

ESG is the only university institution in the Municipality, where the undergraduate degrees in Fine Arts and Multimedia and the Integrated Master degree in Architecture and Urban Design are taught. It is an Institution that acts largely at scientific, technical and cultural levels, as a dynamic centre of the region.

The 3 degrees of 1st cycle have a length of 6 semesters (3 years), and the integrated master degree in architecture and urban design, which included 1st and 2nd cycles of studies, has a length of 10 semesters (5 years).

All ESG study cycles are designed according to the European credit transfer system, ECTS.

Integrated Master in Architecture and Urban Design

The first three years of this degree systematize the general/ basic skills, and the last two years are structured in two general semesters of urban planning and heritage, and two semesters of specialization in the areas of technology and dissertation project.

The curriculum is organized into ten semesters. Each semester corresponds to 30 ECTS, equivalent to 840 hours of student’s workload.
The total number of credits for the Master is 300 ECTS, over a period of 5 years (10 semesters). The total workload in the integrated master training is 8400 hours (300 ECTS), divided by the following scientific areas:

DAP/ Design and Architecture Project – 172 ECTS
TEC/ Technologies – 68 ECTS
HUM/ Humanities – 42 ECTS
TPS/ Tools Project Support – 12 ECTS
EP/ Electives Program – 6 ECTS

Integrated Master in Architecture and Urban Design

Degree (1st cycle – Advanced Architecture Studies)

1st Year – 1st Semester

1st Year – 2nd semester

2nd Year–1st semester (3th semester)

2nd Year – 2nd Semester (4th semester)

3rd Year – 1st Semester (5th semester)

3rd Year – 2nd Semester (6th semester)

Master (2nd Cycle – Master in Architecture and Urban Design/Urbanism)

4 Year – 1st Semester (7th semester)

4 Year – 2nd Semester (8th semester)

5 Year – 1st Semester (9th semester)

5 Year – 2nd Semester (10th semester)

1^st Cycle Degree In Fine Arts And Multimedia

The degree in Fine Arts and Multimedia results from a new project with the support of the Biennial of Cerveira Foundation. It comprises the integrated development of intervention skills and professional application in the areas of Arts and Multimedia, particularly in the creation, development and implementation of artistic and design projects.
The training of qualified professionals in these fields of intervention requires a solid preparation in the areas of:

1. the Arts in General, of theories, technologies and systems of representation;
2. the creation and development of artistic products within the arts, or within the nominated digital arts;
3. the dimensions of artistic expression and multimedia in digital media;
4. the creation, innovation and production leaning towards the acquisition of artistic intervention skills in professional application environments.
   The reference areas are, in the information society in which we live, a support for the construction of the new digital spaces of artistic-cultural representation, in which the media and entertainment industries play a fundamental role.This degree includes a total of 840 hours and 180 ECTS.

Degree in Arts and Multimedia

1st Cycle of Studies in Fine Arts and Multimedia

1st Year – 1st Semester

1st Year – 2nd Semester

2nd Year – 1st Semester (3th semester)

2nd Year – 2nd Semester (4th semester)

3rd Year – 1st Semester (5th semester)

3rd Year – 2nd Semester (6th semester)