The village of Luz, once located on the left bank of the Guadiana, disappeared under the waters of the Alqueva Dam in 2002. This was the price to pay for the construction of Europe’s largest artificial lake, a venture designed to boost agriculture and water supply in Alentejo. The decision to submerge the village was not peaceful and, more than two decades later, the impacts of this change are still felt, not only on the identity of the community, but also on the tax obligations of the former owners.
The village, with secular origins, consisted of a community dedicated to agriculture and pastoralism. For decades, the inhabitants lived with the uncertainty of a project that would force them to abandon their homes. The implementation of the dam brought with it the need to resolve the population. As a solution, a new village of Luz was built about two kilometers from the original site, replicating, whenever possible, the architectural moth and the community spaces. However, not everything was resolved with the change. Despite the submersion of the properties, many residents continued to receive IMI charges on land and dwellings that were underwater, due to bureaucratic issues that maintained the properties in tax records as if they still existed, a situation that has generated indignation and protests.
The change, however, was not made without challenges. Although the new village offered better infrastructures, such as school and health center, many residents have felt that the community spirit and the identity of the ancient settlement were lost. The situation is aggravated by the persistence of tax obligations on goods that have ceased to exist physically, a problem that has been the subject of contestation in recent years, as advances.
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For many inhabitants, the new village represents a space that, although modern, never completely replaced the feeling of belonging that existed in the past. The resolution offered new living conditions, but also changed social dynamics. The wide and organized streets contrast with the most spontaneous arrangement of the old village, where the proximity between houses strengthened community ties and facilitated daily coexistence.
Over the years, several investment promises to streamline the new village have been announced, but many did not materialize. Tourist projects and economic incentives were pointed out as ways to revitalize the locality, however, reality shows that desertification remains a threat. With fewer young people and increasingly unoccupied houses, the Village of Luz faces the challenge of keeping its identity alive in a territory where history still weighs on collective memory.
The environmental impact of the dam was also significant. Albufeira flooded vast agricultural areas, changed ecosystems and changed the region’s microclimate. Studies indicate that endemic species have disappeared, while moisture increased, creating an environment distinct from what was usual in Alentejo. On the other hand, the water reserve boosted watering agriculture and fostered nautical tourism. However, for the former inhabitants of the Light Village, progress came at an unexpected cost: the continuity of payment of taxes on nonexistent properties.
The memory of the ancient village remains alive through the Museum of Light, created to preserve the identity and history of the village. The space brings together photographs, testimonies and a detailed model of the submerged village. Still, for many former residents, the change was more than physical: it was a difficult emotional break to overcome.
Two decades later, the new village of light remains a symbol of progress and sacrifice. Despite the promises of development, the population has been decreasing, and the fate of the locality is still uncertain. Between the nostalgia of the past and the opportunities of the future, the inhabitants continue to live between two times, trying to reconcile the inheritance of the lost village with the reality of the new. Meanwhile, residents continue to fight for the tax authorities to recognize an undeniable reality: the village where they lived for over 20 years no longer exists.
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