“I think that I thought I knew, but now I don’t know”

the substitution of Real Fábrica das Sedas e as Anexas’ History (1734-2025)

Abstract

The project examines the past and present of the “Real Fábrica das Sedas e as Anexas” (1734-1833), a factory situated in the Street of Escola Politécnica, in Lisbon. Studying its History and the present, I aim to understand how the local community perceives the complex and its remnants. I contend that the factual History of the RFSA was replaced by a series of multiple micro-narratives, which have created alternative histories of the complex. I intend to prove my argument by utilizing both historiographic sources and participant observation. Combining methods derived from History and Anthropology, it is possible to observe a rift between the institution’s history, studied by academics, and the one known by the community and the Lisbon City Council. Furthermore, I conclude by exploring actions that both the population and Lisbon City Council can take to value the industrial patrimony.