TASK 2:A visit to CIBA

Last Saturday, in a desperate attempt to escape from another monotonous family reunion in the countryside, I decided to work on my report. Therefore, I went to visit CIBA, which is a Centre of Interpretation on the Battle of Aljubarrota .I had been there before, so I knew it would be both an interesting and entertaining visit. It constituted the ideal way of spending an afternoon with the family. It is located in Porto de Mós , near Batalha, in the actual fields where the battle occurred.

We started our visit by entering an auditorium where there was a reconstitution of the scenery of the battle. We saw a film/multimedia show about it (“The Royal Battle”). The film had a very good plot, good actors, and it was historically accurate, allowing the audience to understand the circumstances of this battle that has guaranteed the Portuguese independence. One leaves the room with a renewed sense of pride and a better notion of what being Portuguese means.

This exhibit has two more areas. We proceeded to see the area where an authentic “cova do lobo”( which is a kind of trench/trap) is shown. These trenches were an essential element of the defensive tactics adopted by D. Nuno Álvares Pereira against the Spanish troops. Additionally, there was an historical explanation of the Battle, which was shown on touchscreens..
In this area, there was also a chronological contextualization of what was happening in the Middle Ages in Europe, particularly in Portugal (specifically the 1383-85 crisis) and in Castela.

The third focal point constitutes the biggest area of the exhibition. It is dedicated to the different interpretations of this event .
There were several newspaper articles about the archaeological findings made by Afonso do Paço in the 50's.
Some bones of injured soldiers were also exposed and there were screens showing how these injuries might have been made.

After this, we read all the different chronicles of the Battle,which were also shown
on interactive screens, written by Fernão Lopes, Pero López de Ayala, Jean Froissart and by an Anonymous chronicler. This gives the visitor a notion of the range of different perspectives about the battle.
Afterwards, we saw a sculpture, designed like a domino, which represented the sequentiality of the events that led up to the battle, the battle itself, and what has occurred after it. This piece was accompanied by a brief explanation of the causes, effects and consequences of the battle.

There was also a part of the exhibition dedicated to describing the weapons and tactics used in Aljubarrota in a didactic and attractive way.
There was also a description of the most important battles that have happened in Europe at that time.

Finally, there was an area of FAQ's, including some extra information about the battle and the biographies of its protagonists.

The visit was concluded with a journey around the fields, where the battle actually happened. In the fields, there are “chronotelescopes” that show what is supposed to have been the actual positioning assumed by the soldiers in the battle field.

This open, green space is also great for children, because they are allowed to run around and explore freely, while improving their historical knowledge .
The whole space was, in fact, conceived to present historical facts in an appealing way.

It is a very “family friendly” space, having an agreeable cafeteria where you can relax after the visit, a room where children can play and learn, with several educational activities. It allows you to spend quality time with your family.