Aldeias do Xisto

Rehabilitation Program of the Schist Villages in “Serra da Lousã”
Casal de S. Simão is part of a historic network of 24 Schist Villages, financed by the Municipalities and by European Union aims to restore the memory of long abandoned villages of Lousã mountains. The program had begun reviving the techniques of the slate constructions, which has allowed the restoration of the houses to be done by local workers,
this way recovering the construction traditions.

The restoration of each one of these small villages has followed an architectural plan which included, not only the private houses, but also the public spaces with several functionalities, such as the public wash-houses, agricultural threshing floors, and also the spaces closely connected with the most characteristic in each one of the villages. Infrastructures like water, electricity, telephone and other where installed with the cooperation of the Municipalities aiming to create the conditions to people interested in developing sustainable tourist activities.

Both full and part-time residents had revived the ghost towns and today the Tourism – with accommodations, outdoor activities and sale of local products – is flourishing.
The development of a sustainable strategy that restores both human occupation and promotes a balanced ecosystem, where it is possible to find both the Mediterranean influences and the Atlantic ones is fundamental for tourist industries’ future in the Serra da Lousã. One interesting phenomenon is a small number of visitors who decide to stay and live in the ancient hill towns of central Portugal.