SENSED PLACE CARVALHAL DE VERMILHAS
A FILM BY
Carvalhal de Vermilhas, Vouzela Municipality
Viseu Dão Lafões Region, Portugal.
A rural community like any other but special at the same time.
Unique, made of landscape, past and memory
but also of reconstruction, possibilities and novelty.
Here, the doors have been opened to us with courtesy, humility and openness
so that we could collectively think about the sense of belonging existing in this community
and question whether this sense could constitute
an affirmation of the value of the place and its memory
in opposition to the cosmopolitan uprooting happening everywhere
which renders the characteristics of the places increasingly evened out
through political, economical, educational and technological mechanisms.
The defense of the differences that make up a place like Carvalhal de Vermilhas
represents a complex and sensible agenda of actions, memories and identities
that can be projected into the future and render visible
and shareable with the outside world the inhabitants' love of their land,
which is manifested by the gradual transformation of the landscape
the housing structure and the daily habits.
This film engaged a series of inhabitants of Carvalhal de Vermilhas
in expressing what they think about their land and what they value in it,
with the underlying hypothesis of the future creation of the role of "place ambassador".
The "place ambassador" is not a person endowed with special social importance
but rather one that knows and wishes to share with the world
what it means to love a land
and to convey stories, places and events that may transform the tourist experience
into a plural encounter that helps understanding the singularity
and the infinite shades of a place's reality.
We hope that this initiative may contribute
to new opportunities in this and other villages in the region
that they may be based on an intense, and non-formatted dialogue with the outside world.
Let's give voice to those who taught us what it means to love Carvalhal de Vermilhas.
Saint Barnabas, pray for us
Dear Saint, Saint Euphemia pray for us.
It was a litany.
The procession left from Carvalhal. Everyone praying with their hands in position.
We would go up the mountain and when we arrived at the top,
we would sing around the chapel and pray the rosary.
From now on... from May on, it's a paradise...
There is no place like this.
We still find watermills... grinding, the mountains blooming,
We have a large grove of leafy oaks, we are enchanted by it.
We have a lot of water, A lot of green...
Everywhere we go, in the summer, we find that water flowing,
that is a pleasure to drink.
First, the contact with the local people is very important to me,
we do not have it in the cities.
I think that all of us should go through this experience
be it for one week, two weeks or a month I think this is very important.
Second, this is a village like many others in this country,
That doesn't have young people, isn't it?
And we (young people) also bring that, we bring a breath of fresh air…
Therefore, from this point of view,
it would be very interesting to attract other young people to come here.
I think that there is structure, there is culture, there is gastronomy
There is even a strong possibility of developing here rural and sustainable tourism.
But, for that, investment is needed in communication, in the territory and in the people.
I think that walking around is the first step to get to know these villages,
you will need an open mind, obviously, and to be willing to ask people questions
to talk to them, because they are the ones that will tell you the history of this place,
because if we look around we don't see the history, they are the ones that tell us the history…
I think that this area has a lot of possibilities.
First, I came here due to a house we had, an abandoned house.
This house was an opportunity, the nature, the location,
some relatives... that I have here and all the business opportunities that I see here.
First, my connection with this village has to do with my childhood...
I was the only one of my siblings that would spend holidays here with my grandfather.
Both of us used to come here. We did not stay in this village,
but rather in a bed and breakfast the family owned in Vouzela.
And that really upset me because we had a house,
but we couldn't sleep in it because it was in very bad shape, and...
year after year... it would always be the same
"the house is not ready yet, we stay at the bed and breakfast".
And this situation remained... until my grandfather's death.
After his death... I stopped coming here.
I started to really miss the village. Every year this feeling grew stronger,
it was almost like a trauma,
to have this house but not be able to come here.
Then, when I became an adult, I decided to take a chance.
We have hiking trails, some easier than others,
we have mountain bike trails for the more adventurous people.
Starting from here we can go to Alcofra, to Vouzela.
We have quite a lot of trails.
We also have religious tourism.
It's also a strong attraction here, although it's a bit forgotten.
Right here we have a chapel, the Chapel of the Towers.
You can't get in but you can admire its exterior architecture.
The people are welcoming, the landscape is magnificent,
the farm animals are with us, they live close to us…
On the whole, it's all… it's the whole environment.
I am very passionate about my land...
I very much like the people, because they are very humble, very welcoming.
I like it, and I really miss my adolescence here.
because, although it was a very hard one, a very arduous one,
it was a very happy one. I was very happy.
It was beautiful when the sun would arrive, the cows would shoo away the flies
We would back home, but before that I knew I had to milk the goats.
And then I would rest… because I would be so tired, so tired
that I had to get some rest.
I would milk the goats and drink half of the milk before arriving home, such was my hunger.
After lunch, there would always be some free time,
when all the young people, and we were a lot of them,
all the young people would gather to play cards on a wall by the café
and there we would stay until 4pm.
At 4 pm, I would need to go with the cows again
but, before that, we would go to the river.
and it's funny that my mom would always tell me that I couldn't go…
So, I would throw my towel out the window and then I would jump out the window
and I would go diving, swimming and when my mom would notice
I would already be with the cows in the meadow.
All of this… is… is enriching, is… is me wanting to live, wanting to awaken myself.
and to get to know new things, but, I would always need to work…
I like working in the fields, I was born and raised here
And I am still here So, work is what I like.
We would sing, we would sing a lot.
We would work in the fields, we would work in multiple plots,
Everyone would work in the fields and sing.
Even at night, we would gather outside and sing all together.
[Helena Tojal sings "Our lady Saint Columba", an ancient traditional song from Vermilhas]
From December or January on we would go to the mountain
With some hoes to dig up the land we would dig a bit every year and that was a lot…
So that, in the summer, we could sow rye… And a lot of rye came down the mountain.
Today there are almost no young people, but, when we were young,
to conquer a girl's heart a lot of work was needed
You had to go to the mountain with a hoe and some of the girls were too picky.
It was not so easy.
This is a village where practically there has never been a court case.
People didn't settle disputes in court.
Everyone would get along well with one another and help one another. It was like I tell you.
Even this school here was built by the people.
Because they (the authorities) had built one farther away
and wanted our local pupils to go to that school.
Then, our local people got down to business
and built this one and then gave it to the State.
After that, the girls from Carvalhal would come here,
back then the classes were not mixed-gender,
and the boys would go to that other school.
Later, it was decided to build another school
halfway along the road to unite both ends of the village.
I like the village, I was born here and I love it.
My husband loves it even more.
He likes to sow, to work in agriculture…
Here it's totally different… totally different from a city.
I like it more here. While in the city we are stuck inside a flat
Here when we go out we see everything,
a lot of nature, many, many things that I like.
I recall that a certain day we went to…
it wasn't the harvest but rather the cereal threshing.
When we finished it we gathered all together
A group from here another from the other side
and we gathered all together outside São's house, and we all sang.
There was so much joy… that I don't have words to describe it.
So, I really loved it because everyone was so cheerful...
In the summer, sometimes we would have three traditional balls.
One at the end of the village other here at São's and other here in Costa.
We were so many people that it was possible to have so many traditional balls.
I often recall my childhood during those times, the village was really cheerful.
I would hear people singing, I would be at home,
sometimes already in bed and I would listen to them singing,
because boys would sing a lot. only boys at night,
since girls couldn't go out at night,
but men would sing, and they would tell "Let's go to Gesteira".
They would come all the way up here singing.
I would listen to those voices and I would fall in love with them.
Later, of course, when I was older I joined the singing groups.
Our village is beautiful, the mountain is beautiful,
we have beautiful houses, nice old things, old stone houses.
But I mainly recommend the trails, the pathways.
A lot of people hike here, and the mountain is all beautiful.
All of it, the rivers… the mountain was very rich in game animals.
We also have a café that is quite popular…
I love my village because I used to live here,
I was happy while I lived here and I like it.
I like the environment.
My village is special to me, and to those who visit it.
First, the nature is really beautiful. We have old things here.
We have a cromlech that we call Lapa da Meruje.
In the old times, we would gather there and we would dance.
and… and in the mountain… all the young people would gather there.
I really miss those times…
I recall my mother telling me that one day she went there with the sheep,
and it was during the season when the sheep were washed.
There was some paths and men stayed on them so that the sheep didn't escape,
because sheep didn't like baths.
So, there was a gentleman… I would always laugh when my mom would tell me this story.
So, each man had to hold a position so that they grabbed one sheep.
But a gentleman who was weaker was not able to grab his sheep
and the sheep ran over him.
His face was full of scratches
because all the sheep ran over him and there were hundreds of them!
I remember when I was little, I missed it, I lived near São's place,
where the dances would take place.
They would play the harmonica and I could hear them from my home,
I would be jumping in excitement because I wanted to join them.
The nature… the fact that the village's characteristics are still well preserved,
from what I remember from my childhood.
The people… unfortunately, there are a lot of old people.
On the other hand, that is good because it means they are still with us.
But, I don't know…
It's special because people still maintain all the traditions
that I remember from my childhood.
This for me is very important and makes this a very special place
and that is why I really like it.
The culture, the musical culture, the local folk group…
the agricultural traditions...
There are still one or two people who preserve traditional agriculture
and even use animal traction to work in the fields.
There have also been few changes in the environment.
And, then, certain details about the people and the culture.
The fact that people come from two different villages,
Carvalhal and Vermilhas, that have a long lasting rivalry,
but it's a healthy one.
Because in the end they all work together in the same direction
and all this happens in a natural way and that is also funny.
I remember a lot of things with fondness...
The holidays when I was young, mainly the summer holidays...
Why were they special?
Because a lot of people would come here, some had their grandparents here,
and they would come to spend their summer holidays.
Nowadays, there are still many people who come here to spend their holidays,
but 25 years ago it was totally different.
I had two or three friends of my age during the whole year,
but in the summer this number would grow to 30 or 40 friends.
And that was amazing.
We would hang out all day long,
then, when we grew up we would go to clubs. Those were fantastic years.
In Vermilhas there was a swimming spot in the river
that we call Poça da Carvalha.
We would go to the meadows that surround the river and we would make it into our own swimming spot.
I would like visitors to experience our trail.
There is a hiking trail that I would like them to try
because if they do it they will see how beautiful Carvalhal de Vermilhas is.
In particular, the circular trail that it's easy to complete
and shows people what Carvalhal de Vermilhas really is,
how it's still well preserved and I hope they enjoy it,
because it's difficult to find another place like this.
I am almost sure that if they follow the trail,
they will find people working in the fields or taking care of their cattle.
And that is probably difficult to find in other places.
In my view, the village is a paradise.
I lived in the village uninterruptedly until I finished primary school.
That is, until I was 10 or 11 years old.
Then, I studied in Viseu where I finished high school.
But every single weekend, I mean, whenever possible,
I would return to the village.
I remember perfectly, The way... even the religious traditions...
the way religious traditions are intertwined with folklore songs
the way the so-called secular songs are mixed with religious songs.
I remember hearing... from one end or the other (of the village),
from the North or the South side... people singing...
And they would always sing... when they were watering the fields, the corn.
They would sing during the corn weeding,
and there would be those events for the community,
for example the rye threshing.
This event would gather a lot of people in a communal spirit
that also characterizes this village.
Traditional balls would be held at night, after herding the cattle back to the shed
traditional balls would be held at the top of the village.
We would sing and dance… mainly circle dances.
I perfectly remember the way the changes in sunlight
would affect the color of the landscape.
All of this is present in my head and I also try to recall and relive it.
The smell of a plowed field, the smell of mowed grass.
That is, natural things...
So, it's the perfect communion between man and nature.
Farmer Lived all his life in Vermilhas.
Marketing officer Born in Barreiro, inhabits the village since a year ago.
Entrepreneur Born in Barreiro, grandson of a local inhabitant.
Born in Vermilhas Teacher, farmer and head of the local folklore group.
Born in Vermilhas and never left the village Still a farmer.
Born in Vermilhas and never left the village Still a farmer.
Born in Vermilhas but emigrated to Barreiro After being retired came back to the village.
Born in Vermilhas After being retired came back to the village.
Born in Vermilhas After being retired came back to the village.
Commercial officer Born in Vermilhas, nember of the local civil parish.
Judicial officer, radio host and member of the local municipality Born in Vermilhas, living in Vouzela.
An original idea by Cátia Rebelo
Interviews by Cátia Rebelo
Assistant Director: Liliana Silva
Camera: Liliana Silva and Cátia Rebelo
Video Editing: Luís Costa, Liliana Silva and Cátia Rebelo
Sound recording and mastering: Luís Costa
Introductory text: Luís Costa
Co-production | Local Support | Funding
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