São Bento Village

Parish Council of São Bento, Municipality of Porto de Mós, Portugal

Around 170 million years ago, the territory of São Bento was occupied by a shallow sea, where life left its mark in the form of fossils. It is in this setting that the so-called “Jurassic Beach” originated, and it is still visible in the quarry of Cabeço da Ladeira. The need to increase the area for cultivation, in order to meet the needs of the population, led to these lands being cleared and the loose stones were used to build walls, which can be found throughout the region. As a result, the land became more easily arable and was also used for grazing. Cereal was made in the surrounding mills. From there came the flour for daily bread, but also to make pastries for village festivals and celebrations.

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São Bento Village, Municipality of Porto de Mós

The Trees of São Bento

During the Middle Jurassic period, the municipality of Porto de Mós had a close relationship with the sea. In the community of São Bento, the creativity and craftsmanship of the participants came together with the fossils of the Jurassic beach and the local vegetation, giving shape to small pieces built in marzipan that make reference to the festive cakes of the region.

The Trees of São Bento – Detail of the artwork that reproduces leaves from the landscape of São Bento, using marzipan

The Trees of São Bento

Porto de Mós, Portugal, 2021
Art installation
Massa pão e ramos de árvores

This artwork is a collective creation made by the community of São Bento (Porto de Mós) as part of project “Museu na Aldeia” (Village Museum).

Cremilde Santana | Emília Januário | Ermelinda Alves | Laurentina Jorge |
Lucinda Alves | Maria Alice Ferraria | Maria Assunção | Maria Celeste Santos | Maria dos Anjos Barreiro | Maria Emília Costa | Maria Rosário Valente | Maria Rosário Ferraria | Maria Silvério Valente

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The Trees of São Bento – Collective artwork created by the community of São Bento, in the Municipality of Porto de Mós, exhibited at the Museu de Renda de Bilros de Peniche

Museum-Village Route map

The Museum in the Village Project has transcended geographical boundaries by bringing together museums and villages from 26 different municipalities in Portugal. The map highlights the three participating regions and reveals the route between the museum and the village, where Cultural Heritage acts as a bridge to bring together municipalities, celebrate traditions and enhance territorial cohesion.

(…) I liked it very much, it was the first time we had something so interesting, that will take us to the world (…)

Maria Emília
Community of São Bento, Municipality of Porto de Mós

The sense of self-esteem of the elderly, seeing their artistic creation displayed in a distant place and, most particularly, in a museum, is something that seemed unattainable to them and it has been all too evident.

Jorge Figueiredo
Cultural Heritage, Municipality of Porto de Mós

Exhibitions Credits

  • Cultural Promoter
    SAMP – Sociedade Artística Musical dos Pousos
  • Co-financier
    Iniciativa Portugal Inovação Social
    Programa Operacional Social e de Emprego (PO ISE)
    Portugal 2020
    Fundo Social Europeu (FSE)
  • Social investor
    Câmara Municipal de Leiria
    Partner
    Rede Cultura 2027
  • In collaboration with
    Município de Porto de Mós
    Município de Peniche
    Rede Museológica do Concelho de Peniche
    Museu da Renda de Bilros de Peniche
    Freguesia de São Bento
    União de Freguesias de Leiria, Pousos, Barreira e Cortes
  • Museums Working Group for “Rede Cultura 2027”
    Alberto Guerreiro | Museu Raul da Bernarda
    Sónia Santos | Município de Ourém
    Bruno Silva | Rede de Museus e Galerias de Óbidos
    Dóris Santos | Museu Dr. Joaquim Manso
    Filipe Guimarães da Silva | Fundação Mário Soares e Maria Barroso
    Jorge Figueiredo | Município de Porto de Mós
    Luís Figueiredo | Museu Damião de Góis e das Vítimas da Inquisição
    Margarida Moleiro | Museu Municipal Carlos Reis
    Raquel Janeirinho | Rede Museológica do Concelho de Peniche
    Vânia Carvalho | Museu de Leiria
  • The 13 Villages
    Alcanadas (Batalha) | Louriceira de Cima (Arruda dos Vinhos) | Ateanha (Ansião) | Cabeças (Alvaiázere) | Cercal (Cadaval) | Columbeira (Bombarral) | Fanhais (Nazaré) | Freixianda (Ourém) | Folgarosa (Torres Vedras) | Mosteiro (Pedrógão Grande) | São Bento (Porto de Mós) | Fetelaria (Sobral de Monte Agraço) | Pena e Casal da Pena (Torres Novas)
  • The 13 Museums
    Casa do Tempo (Castanheira de Pera) | Centro de Artes Caldas da Rainha | Centro de Estudos em Fotografia de Tomar | Rede de Museus e Galerias de Óbidos | Museu de Arte Popular Portuguesa (Pombal) | Museu da Lourinhã | Museu de Aguarela Roque Gameiro (Alcanena) | Museu de Leiria | Museu do Vidro (Marinha Grande) | Museu e Centro de Artes de Figueiró dos Vinhos | Museu Damião de Góis e das Vítimas da Inquisição (Alenquer) | Museu Raul da Bernarda (Alcobaça) | Rede Museológica do Concelho de Peniche

    The project also had the collaboration of museums from the 26 participating municipalities.
  • SAMP Contigo | Coordination
    Raquel Gomes
  • Museu na Aldeia | Coordination
    Gabriela da Rocha
    Sofia Neves
  • Museu na Aldeia | Teams of the project
    • SAMP | Artistic team
      Bruno Homem | Musician
      Filipa Cunha | Musician
      Inesa Markava | Artistic Performance Director
      Jesus Kristen | Musician
      Raquel Gomes | Community Artist
      Ruben Santos | Musician
      Sofia Neves | Actress
    • SAMP | Technical team
      Ana Figueiredo | Communication and Content Manager
      Cátia Gaio | Logistic and Financial Support
      Gabriela da Rocha | Museologist
      Henrique Chaves | Sociologist
      Lara Matos | Degree in Social Psychology
      Leonor Capricho | Graphic Designer
      Ismael Neves | Logistic and Financial Support
      Telma Pereira | Production
    • Texts
      Ana Figueiredo | SAMP
      Gabriela da Rocha | SAMP
      Henrique Chaves | SAMP
      Jorge Figueiredo | Património Cultural – Município de Porto de Mós
      Raquel Janeirinho | Rede Museológica – Município de Peniche
      Sofia Neves | SAMP
    • Photography credits
      Team | SAMP
      Gil de Lemos
    • Museology and museography
      Gabriela da Rocha | SAMP
      Jorge Martins | Rede Museológica – Município de Peniche
      Raquel Janeirinho | Rede Museológica – Município de Peniche
      Rui Venâncio | Rede Museológica – Município de Peniche
    • Exhibition set-up
      Gabriela da Rocha | SAMP
      Inês Soares e Lorenzo Scodeller | Novonovo
      Jorge Figueiredo | Património Cultural – Município de Porto de Mós
      Jorge Martins | Rede Museológica – Município de Peniche
      Raquel Janeirinho | Rede Museológica – Município de Peniche
    • Graphic design
      Henrique Martinowski
      Leonor Capricho | SAMP
    • Equipment design
      Paolo Martini | Novonovo
    • Transportation of the artwork
      Jorge Martins | Rede Museológica – Município de Peniche
      Raquel Janeirinho | Rede Museológica – Município de Peniche
    • Insurance of the artwork
      LUSITANIA, Companhia de Seguros, SA
    • Acknowledgements
      Comunidades de Casal de Santo António, São Bento, Casal Velho, Moliana,
      Telhados Grandes, Covão do Sabugueiro, Penedos Belos e muitas outras.
      Manuel Pamena
      Rede Museológica – Município de Peniche
      Escola Municipal de Renda de Bilros de Peniche
      Museu Municipal de Porto de Mós
      Central das Artes de Porto de Mós
      FabLab Porto de Mós
      União das Freguesias de Leiria, Pousos, Barreira e Cortes
      ANAFS – Associação Nacional dos Alistados das Formações Sanitárias

Collaborators

Other villages