This video is part of the exhibition at the Casa do Álamo in Alter do Chão. It was produced in 2011 for the local Municipality as part of the preparations for the musealization of the site.
The Casa do Álamo is a manor house located in the historic center of Alter. It was once the heart of the town and its agricultural activity, which extended beyond the urban area into the fields of Alter do Chão, engaging local laborers as well as seasonal workers from Beira Baixa (locally known as ratinhos), among others.
The video draws a connection between the house—as a horizontal space of circulation that extends beyond the building itself—and the surrounding land, as the estate stretches across the Álamo latifundium, anchored by the ground floor, where some of the workers had access.
The upper floor, reserved for the family’s residence, was accessible only to a select few and remained largely unknown to most.
The music Tanto Espaço was generously provided by Mário Laginha.
