CERDEIRA - HOME FOR CREATIVITY
THE REBIRTH OF A VILLAGE

Hidden away in a small valley at 700m above sea level, Cerdeira was a village of schist houses at risk of disappearing after agricultural activity was abandoned in the middle of the 20th Century. Almost 300 years old, the village was built by courageous people, farmers who lived off the land and who, even if they left in search of a better life for their families, would always come back and visit their home.

Today, Cerdeira has new stories to tell, of new inhabitants who have, will their persistence and will power, breathed life and purpose back into this place, of men and women who have knowledgeably restored the houses and made them comfortable, as a 21st-century house should be, of guests who choose the village to spend their holidays, and of artists from all over the world who come in search of inspiration. Cerdeira is now one of 27 villages that make up the network of Aldeias do Xisto.

In 2000, two families that had been friends for years decided to unite in the recovery of some houses of the village. Gradually, the Cerdeira Village project started to gain form and meaning. In 2006, the Arts festival "Elementos à Solta" was held, idealized by one of the project co-founders. In 2012, the Cerdeira Village project started, which in 2018 became Cerdeira - Home for Creativity.