The garden of Earthly Delights. Uma reflexão e uma proposta sobre e para o culto da agricultura. Arronches, Alentejo

Abstract

The present Master Thesis has, as theme of study, the importance of the practice of agriculture as a tool to organize the territory: Countryside and Metropolis. The theme starts with a general thought in order to act on particular context. From a general reflection to a particular proposal. It is a reflection on the conflict between the context of the Countryside and the context of the Metropolis, the criticism to the some misunderstanding to the type of landscape both have become. It is also, a practical proposal for the culture of agriculture at Arronches, in the Alentejo. For the reflection, it was created a methodology of work: the Tree (a Árvore). - From the Seed the Tree Tree (da Semente para a Árvore).- This is a iconographic method that based on a reformulation and on a comparison of personal projects with other authors' who considered similar thoughts and works. The personal projects are related to the two proposals, presented at The Berlage-TU Delft, 2012, and at Faculdade de Arquitectura Universidade Porto, 2017, in difficult spiritual state of mood, but considering the theme agriculture as a principle that organizes and gives origin to the fluxes of people, goods and capital, throughout the territory, also projected for the context of Metropolis. From the Tree into the Fruit (da Árvore para o Fruto).- The Fruit appears as a witness, as the connection between the information assimilated after the knowledge of other authors' experience and my academic projects leading to the final proposal.- The Goods Garden (O Jardim das Delícias). The Goods Garden is related to a collective system of agriculture, composed by a family of typologies for the soil, water and shadow. Three precious, but uncommon elements in North Alentejo. Arronches, is a typical example of the context Countryside and as many other villages in North Alentejo, in border with Spain, is characterized by extreme temperature and rare rain. The lack vegetation is the mirror of the severe climate, lack of water, and nutrients and, as a consequence, the lack of interest to the work the Land and/or of the intellect to learn how to store and get profit from what you have what is produced and you take out.