Camões School, Entroncamento: a palimpsest of archaeology, architecture, and memories

Abstract

The Camões School is an emblematic example of Portuguese school and railway architecture from the 20th century. Opened in 1928 and operational until 2008, the school is also a testament to the urban, industrial, and social evolution of Entroncamento. Maintaining its educational function for nearly a century, it underwent changes and transformations to meet the various educational needs it served until it was abandoned, suffering significant heritage losses. This article presents a summary of the archaeological survey and investigation work carried out there to document and preserve the school’s tangible and intangible heritage. Using methodologies from the archaeology of architecture and stratigraphic analysis, the study involved detailed surveying, oral history, bibliographic research, and analysis of the building’s transformations over time. The results highlight six key phases in the school’s history, from its construction to the period of abandonment, revealing the structural and functional changes that occurred in each, contributing to the understanding of the impact of time and social changes on architectural heritage.