Cultural Quarter
A new project is being created in the heart of Loulé's historic center: the Cultural Quarter. It aims to enhance the existing local heritage, revitalize the city's emblematic spaces, bring new contemporaneity to the urban fabric and serve as a starting point for getting to know the Geoparque Algarvensis territory.
The first phase of this project will begin in 2022, with the opening of the Islamic Baths, which will allow visitors to visit this unique heritage site in the country, the remains of the Barreto family's 16th century manor house, as well as understanding how the space has continued to be occupied over the centuries.
The second phase of the project will mark a new phase for the Loulé Municipal Museum, which will see its exhibition area renovated and expanded, a commitment to learning about the history of the municipality of Loulé, in which paleontology stands out, a theme that is not explored in museums in the Algarve and which is very strong in Loulé, and the writing of the Southwest, the first manifestation of writing in the Iberian Peninsula, of which Loulé is heir. In addition to the long-term exhibition part, it will also have temporary exhibition rooms and a Paleontology and Archaeology laboratory that will deal with materials found in the municipality of Loulé.
Creation of a Paleontology Laboratory
The Paleontology Laboratory is part of the Loulé Cultural Quarter project and will be an equipped space for preparing fossils.
The discovery of Metoposaurus algarvensis in the territory of the Geopark represents a very important point for paleontology in the Algarve, with the Rocha da Pena deposit being a geosite of international importance. Since its discovery, more macrovertebrate fossils have been found in the area, such as phytosaurs and placodonts.
The Palaeontology Laboratory will be the first of its kind in the Algarve, and will aim to prepare palaeontological material found in the area.
