The Terva Valley Archaeological Park/ TVAP is a joint project of the Municipality of Boticas and the University of Minho, started in 2006 with the program “Conservation, Study, Valuation and Disclosure of Old Mining Complex of the Terva River Valley, Boticas”. The TVAP is intended to be an archaeological park with a continuous geographical character, with a set of cultural values and natural resources that are relevant and representative elements of the diverse landscapes that existed throughout the long human occupation of the territory. The TVAP draws itself as a unit of management of the cultural landscape, incorporating infrastructure of visitation, as the Interpretation Centre in Bobadela village and interpreted itineraries.
The logo, wheat field inspired – ‘the gold of the earth’ -, represents the intimate and balanced relationship established by local communities with their surrounding environment. A relationship rooted upon the wise respect for the land providing income, upon the recognition and acceptance of the diversity and interdependency of all things, upon the need to share common responsibilities and make survival less difficult and upon the establishment of strong solidarity bonds that ensure social cohesion and improve survival.
The Bobadela Interpretation Centre is the entrance to the TVAP – the exhibition content builds the bridge to the fruition of the landscape and the heritage in loco, through the suggested itineraries.
The main objective will always be the promotion of this territory, supported by the promotion of its potential for historical, ethnographic and natural tourism.
Walking through a landscape improves the overall understanding of its different meanings. Thus, visitors have several proposed routes for their TVAP visit. Through interpreted routes, visitors are expected to experience Terva Valley singularities and to ‘see things as they are’, in addition to building their own memories by following the different paths of the people, the animals and the natural elements.
