Casa Grande de Romarigães

Some Portuguese writers, such as Luís de Camões, Fernando Pessoa and José Saramago, remain strongly in the collective memory thanks to Portugal's reading plan. However, most of Portuguese youth is not aware of one of their most prolific national writers: Aquilino Ribeiro. In his extensive bibliography, Aquilino's astounding vocabulary will catch even the most experienced readers by surprise.
One cannot talk about Aquilino Ribeiro without mentioning Casa Grande de Romarigães, the 16th century estate in northern Portugal, which the writer once called home. This landmark, also called Quinta do Amparo, changed owners throughout history until it was inherited by Jerónima Dantas, Aquilino's second wife. The writer fell in love with the property, so not only he restored it, but also immortalized it in one of his most important works, "A Casa Grande de Romarigães".
Now, 60 years after the author's death, the House he cherished so much returns the favour. With our help, it is now a Museum space dedicated to Aquilino Ribeiro and the history of writing.

The ground floor of Casa Grande de Romarigães tells the exciting life story of Aquilino Ribeiro, from his childhood in rural Beira to his political activism and travels through Europe. We complemented the graphic timeline with video content and directional audio.
According to Aquilino Ribeiro, he was inspired to write about Casa Grande de Romarigões after finding old manuscripts describing the noble family that built the estate centuries ago. These chronicles hold a legendary status: were they real or just a fictional plot device? Either way, they are part of the lore of the house. In the same nook where these texts were found, you can find a holographic pyramid retelling, in Aquilino's own words, how he discovered them.

During the restoration of Casa Grande de Romarigães, once home to the Meneses and Montenegros, walls a cubit and a half thick, bearing the ruin of a century, were torn down, revealing cracks where swallows entered. Within a small cupboard embedded in a window jamb, a voluminous bundle of old papers was discovered. The label, adorned with flowery characters in rust-colored ink, described its contents: a record of notable events at Casa Grande de Romarigães, also known as Quinta de Nossa Senhora do Amparo.
Aquilino Ribeiro's work explores the intertwined narratives of characters embodying the essence of the Minho people, showcasing their aspirations, resilience, and deep connection to the land. The secrets within Casa Grande de Romarigães come alive, revealing buried histories and amplifying the voices of past generations.
Museum visitors can witness this story through a holographic pyramid, installed in the same niche, where, according to the legend, have been found papers that gave the origin of Aquilino Ribeiro's Masterpiece.

There are so many stories surrounding this property; if you want to dive deeper, you can consult a touch screen with even more information about the estate, the novel, and a timeline of Aquilino's published books.

Timeline provides an overview of Aquilino Ribeiro's life, highlighting key moments that shaped him into the figure we know. Starting with his birth date, it covers significant events such as his educational background, first imprisonment, emigration, marriage, nomination for the Nobel Prize in Literature, and more. Through the combination of digital and physical approaches, visitors are encouraged to explore the timeline through videos, photos, and directional audio that enriches the whole experience. Therefore gaining a deeper understanding of Aquilino Ribeiro's journey throughout his life.

One of the aims of this museum is not only to introduce Aquilino Ribeiro to new generations, but also keep the skill (and art!) of writing alive. In an era of abbreviated messages written through smartphones, how many people are skilled typers? Or still remember how to do cursive writing?
With that in mind, the first floor was converted into an old time classroom, where older visitors can relive their formative years, and schoolchildren can learn through group activities in their field trips. The old and the new coexist in this space; typewriters and chalkboards can be used alongside new interactive experiences we developed to keep children engaged.

It's hard to take a child's attention from a screen to a paper and a pen; so we turned tablets and digital styluses into just that.
This multiplayer game lets up to 3 players to write their own exquisite corpse, always starting with a sentence by Aquilino Ribeiro. The game is digital, but there is a catch — they have to write in cursive! The game uses Apple Pencils so players can shape their calligraphy through changes in pressure and angle. A in-app calligraphy reference guides the most forgetful students. In the end the players can print the story they wrote with their own handwritin.

Aquilino's works often portrayed the landscapes of his life, like the Beira region of his childhood or the green hills surrounding Quinta do Amparo. As an homage to the writer's ability to "paint with words", we empower visitors to do the same.
Through an iPad, the visitor can create its own story by piercing together phrases from A Casa Grande de Romarigães. The user-made sentences show up in the wall projection accompanied by 3D elements — such as people, animals and trees — mentioned by the text. Emotions and seasons are conveyed through changes in color, brightness and audio. The scene is formed by point clouds and moving particles to convey that these landscapes are not real; they are as ethereal as Aquilino's own memories, and the images his words project in his readers' minds. This continuous story and morphing landscape become a collaborative work between visitors and Aquilino Ribeiro. The visitors can print the story as a souvenir to remind themselves that they too can become great writers.

As a writer in the 20th century, Aquilino Ribeiro used typewriters to finish his novels. These machines have become increasingly rare and few children have seen one, let alone try it.
Therefore we took the concept of a guestbook and gave it a twist: although it the messages are displayed in a screen, the visitors must type their messages on a typewriter!
This mix of digital and mechanical technology allows users to experiment with this form of writing without worrying about cumbersome tasks like changing paper and line breaks. To add some challenge and historical accuracy, the keyboard uses the HCESAR layout, which was mandatory in Portugal during the Estado Novo regime, from 1937 to 1971.

Through augmented reality, you can take a literary tour of Casa Grande de Romarigães not only as a physical heritage but also in its literary aspect. Work and place converge at activation points, where you can visualize what Aquilino painted in the reader's mind through words.
Featuring 10 GPS-enabled points of interest, users can explore the Quinta do Amparo and its surroundings. With a personalized map guiding users, they can immerse in the author's work and life episodes.

MECHANICS:
1. Use the map to explore available points of interest.
2. Unlock unique experiences at each point.
3. Interact with augmented reality elements and discover a Casa Grande de Romarigães from another perspective.
4. Plant your forest.
5. Interact with famous peacocks of Quinta do Amparo through augmented reality.
6. Enjoy the chirping of the birds hidden in the woods.
7. And have a chance to talk to Aquilino Ribeiro himself!

Visit the Casa Grande de Romarigães located in Paredes de Coura, Portugal, and explore this rich history and literature background iconic place with our immersive experiences!

CASA GRANDE DE ROMARIGÃES App is available for both Android and iOS

CONCEPT & DIRECTION – Helder da Rocha Pereira
CREATIVE DIRECTION – Arina Zhumasheva
3D DIRECTION – Nazariy Voloshchuk
DESIGN – Arina Zhumasheva, Telma Santana, Marta Amorim
MOTION DESIGN – Adrian Soto
3D PRODUCTION – Joana Vieira, Beatriz Sales, Marcello Ferreira
DEVELOPMENT – Maurício Ferreira, Juliana Quintas
INSTALLATION & SUPPORT – Fernando Madaleno