Parques de Sintra restores interior coverings at the Convent of the Capuchos

At the Convent of the Capuchos, conservation and restoration work is underway on the interior coverings, which will cover several areas in phases, namely the Infirmaries; Apothecary; Penitential Cell and its corridor; Chapter House; Library; Washroom; and common areas. The intervention mainly focuses on restoring the plaster and replacing cork and wood.

The work in the Penitential Cell has revealed some decorations on the skirting boards of the walls, which indicate a completely different use of the space than that previously assigned to it. Following these discoveries, a research project is underway to corroborate the new interpretation of the space.

In the Apothecary, and as a result of the archaeological investigation that preceded the intervention, the original flooring was identified, so the floor will be covered with wooden floorboards.

The project, which represents an investment of around 80 thousand euros, will be carried out until the end of 2024, and also includes the replacement of doors and locks and various maintenance actions. Following the ‘Open for Works’ policy, Parques de Sintra is intervening room by room, in phases, in order to reconcile visits to the Convent of the Capuchos with the conservation and restoration actions underway. In this way, visitors can come into contact with the complexity of heritage conservation work and understand the human and financial investment that it involves.

In the last decade, the parks and monuments managed by Parques de Sintra have received around 25 million visitors, and the company has invested 40 million euros in the built and natural heritage under its care. With no recourse to the state budget, Parques de Sintra is committed to a pioneering management model based on leveraging the heritage to generate income which is then reinvested into its recovery and maintenance. Continuing in the same vein, the company plans to invest around 30 million euros in the future to enhance the parks and monuments under its management.