Site Cloister

An elderly man from Aldeia da Mata suggested I visit the ‘Tapadão’ dolmen, a megalithic monument from 3000 BC. I walked along a winding trail and came upon a concrete path marked by two tilted walls, which led me literally into the earth, underground.

There, I discovered a cloister designed to preserve the dolmen’s cultural and historical significance. The space was defined by leaning, curved walls. I sat in one concrete block and I felt the light coming through a narrow cut in the earth, creating a serene and mysterious atmosphere. The same light illuminated the walls and with the reflexion, the space. Exploring further, I found corridors leading to an exhibition room that connected the story of the dolmen to its surrounding landscape, visible through a tall window.

As I ventured deeper, another corridor opened to an outdoor space with a reflecting pool under the open sky. Sitting there, I felt time slow as I absorbed the peace of the setting. Returning to the surface, I spotted the dolmen in the distance and walked toward it. As I approached, I experienced an uncanny sense of déjà vu, as though I was reconnecting with a timeless past.