The IV Meeting of the Province of Santa Maria da Arrábida was held on 19–20 September 2026 in Vale de Figueira, Santarém. The event marked the 470th anniversary of the foundation of the Convent of Nossa Senhora de Jesus de Vale de Figueira and was organised by the Centro de Bem Estar Social de Vale de Figueira, in partnership with the Parish Council and Santarém City Council. The event brought together researchers, historians and specialists in art, architecture and heritage to explore Franciscan values and the legacy of the Arrábida friars and their convents.

Jesse Rafeiro and Ana Tomé contributed a presentation based on recent work from AQUA-REVIVE, an ongoing Horizon Europe research project focused on deciphering and virtually reconstructing the convents and hydraulic systems of the Quinta de São Paulo in Alferrara (Setúbal, Portugal). This presentation, titled “Water Collection and Distribution in the Arrábida Convents of Alferrara, Arrábida and Sintra: From Field Data to Virtual Reconstruction” explained how digital surveying techniques, historical research and comparisons between two other Arrábida  convents are being used to better understand the ruins of the hydraulic system at the Capuchos of Alferrara.

The participation also included an exhibition of recent thesis projects by master’s students in Architecture at Instituto Superior Técnico, featuring virtual reconstructions, 3D-printed models and immersive experiences.

Catarina Alfama presented her recently defended thesis on the hydraulic system of the Convent of Nossa Senhora da Arrábida. The thesis investigates the convent’s sophisticated water management system in relation to architecture, topography and geology through interpretive physical models using 3D printing. These models help explain structures that are difficult to access, including the tunnel of a water mine over 28 metres long.

Eduardo Rella’s thesis also explored 3D printing as a tool for interpreting and communicating the heritage of the Capuchos Convent in Alferrara and the Monastery of São Paulo in Setúbal. Through laser scanning and photogrammetry capture he produced replicas of the convents water systems at different scales, ranging from the building complexes and to architectural details of important structures like the casa de fresco which currently have limited public access.

Patrícia Linhol’s thesis presents a comprehensive virtual reconstruction hypothesis for the hydraulic system of the Capuchos Convent in Alferrara. She provides the most sophisticated analysis of the system to date combining layers of evidence like historical documentation, laser scanning, ground-penetrating radar and comparative analysis with other convents. Her model serves as a database to consolidate these different data sources and various levels of evidence associated with the proposed reconstruction.

Sofia Pereira presented a prototype of her ongoing thesis work “Hidden Waters — A Journey through Alferrara’s Hydraulic System.” The project is an immersive environment that animates a virtual reconstruction of the historic hydraulic system of Capuchos of Alferrara hypothesized by her colleagues in an open-source video game engine known as Unreal Engine. Through atmospheric visuals and interactive features, the project aims to help a wider audience understand how the hydraulic system may have functioned, while making clear the evidence, interpretations and uncertainties behind its virtual reconstruction.

This work was financially supported by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 101207766. This research was also funded in part by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P. (FCT, https://ror.org/00snfqn58) under Grant UID/6438/2025 of the research unit CERIS.