Natural risks in the Alcobaça Cistercian

Abstract

Alcobaça is an interesting example of the historical evidence for Natural Risks. The Monastic Ensemble, with its own memory, is one of the most important and best kept of the Cistercian world, as well as one of the most open to the effects of flooding. The Monumental Abbey was born 850 years ago and retains evidence and marks of these effects, sometimes revealing remarkable catastrophes. The legacy of the "Alcobaça Historians", followed by the writings of notable personalities of the secular Alcobaça, as well as studies of the universal Cistercian Enterprise, all help in the understanding of this almost millennial but evolving model. This requires an analysis combining technical observation with a multidisciplinary approach.