Vila Real de Santo António and Isla Cristina will host, between 21 and 23 March 2025, the II Iberian Congress of the Association of History Teachers, subordinate to the theme “The Earthquake of 1755: difficult times on both sides of the Guadiana”. The event will bring together specialists from Portugal and Spain to reflect on the impact of earthquake on the southern Iberian Peninsula and the following political and social responses.
This congress is part of the 250th anniversary of the Vila Real de Santo António Foundation, one of the most emblematic urban projects of the Portuguese Enlightenment. The initiative intends to analyze how societies dealt with the catastrophe and how the earthquake influenced the social, economic and political organization of the region.
One of the central axes of reflection will be environmental history, exploring the relationship between populations and the environment over time, especially with regard to adaptation to natural disasters. The event will also have a strong educational character, promoting transionic projects in teaching history and encouraging the critical thinking of students about natural phenomena and their consequences.
Iberian Congress with diversified program and a vast range of speakers
The activities start on Friday, March 21, at the António Aleixo Cultural Center, in Vila Real de Santo António, with the General Assembly of the Association of History Teachers, at 13h00. The opening session is scheduled for 14:00, followed by communications on historical education and environmental narrative (Marília Gago, University of Minho), the impact of the earthquake on Niebla County (Francisco de la Cruz García García) and the Algarve Kingdom Restoration Plan in Vila Real de Santo António (Andreia Fidalgo, University of Algarve), among other themes.
On Saturday, March 22, the conferences continue in the same place, addressing topics such as natural challenges and adaptive responses of coastal communities (Manuel Costa Pereira, Instituto Superior Technical) and the representation of natural cinema catastrophes (Elsa Mendes, National Film Plan). The morning ends with a study visit to Vila Real de Santo António, guided by historian Fernando Pessanha.
During the afternoon, Congress continues at Cit Garum in Isla Cristina, with presentations on Pombaline Urbanism (Miguel Monteiro de Barros, New University) and the effects of the 1755 tidal on the coast of Cadis (Francisco Aparicio Florido, Universidad de Cadiz).
On Sunday, March 23, Cit Garum hosts communications on the impact of the 1755 earthquake on the Gibraltar Strait, the implications of catastrophe on natural and cultural heritage and the relationship between Isla Cristina and the Sea. The Congress ends with a guided boat visit through Isla Cristina, at 12:00 pm, followed by a living lunch.
The event is organized pela pela , pela aph – associaÃo de Teachers of History, Pela A Association of Thanks Hespérides, Pele of Anolucia of Educational Development and Professional Training and Pelo Cristina Island.
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