A Indústria dos mármores do Alentejo (Portugal) Memória e imaterialidade

Abstract

ver the last decade, multidisciplinary research involving the Heritage and History of the Marble Industry – PHIM has made it possible to disseminate knowledge about the historiography of Portuguese marble in the Alentejo region (Vila Viçosa, Borba and Estremoz), revealing its archaeological, social, economic and heritage aspects, as well as reflecting on its problems and opportunities. With regard to preserving the collective memory of this industry, testimonies from former players have been collected (through interviews), and the information studied through oral history, in an attempt to highlight the most relevant aspects, whether labor, economic or social, identifying work processes and techniques, interpreting the know-how associated with the quarrying and cutting of marble and its technological evolution. Importance was also given to the information gathered on professional conditions, unionization, training and safety at work, as interpretative elements in all aspects of this economic sector. In this sense, this text seeks to highlight a research project in oral history, its progress, and to safeguard the memory of individuals and communities linked to the marble industry, by analyzing the information gathered in individual interviews about professional experiences and knowledge as a contribution to the knowledge of this centuries-old activity, which is part of the Intangible Heritage.