Casa d'Abóbora

Casa d'Abóbora is a youth association that runs socio-cultural and artistic activities to bring visitors and local residents together in Aldeia, a tiny village in Cinfães, Viseu district. It started as an informal group of young people who decided to settle in the village during the 2020 pandemic, and became an association in 2021. Its mission centres on preserving, promoting and energising the cultural heritage of this low-density rural area. The association works for social, cultural and economic sustainability, with a strong sense of community and ecological responsibility. It wants to counter rural depopulation and rebuild a lively village life shared between generations. Casa d'Abóbora is an active partner in Erasmus+ and other EU-funded projects, among them: - RURALEM (Rural Labs on leadership and social entrepreneurship for young people) - SMART - Rural Innovators, a youth exchange connecting rural innovators across Europe - MOVES (Mountain Voices for Engaged and Sustainable Democracy) These projects work on civic participation, digital citizenship and democratic engagement among young people in rural areas. The Erasmus+ National Agency has given the association two national awards for the quality of its educational and inclusion-focused projects. At its headquarters in Covelas, the association runs an artistic residency programme for artists looking for a calm, inspiring place to create. The musical collective Cangapé has stayed there. Casa d'Abóbora is currently renovating its new headquarters so it can better host cultural, community and creative activities. The work relies on public donations and community support.