A Drawing, a Map. Subjective Cartography of the Territory. The Monastery of San Paio in Ribeira Sacra

Abstract

This research examines a work methodology on the graphic representation of historic landscapes, using the case of the ruins of the monastery of San Paio in Ribeira Sacra. The study is based on the creation of novel cartographies of the remains of this architectural complex and its vineyard-filled landscapes, based on the graphic interpretation of existing documentary and photographic archives. The drawings made establish a correlation between the landscape and the architecture of the monastery, combining science and intuition with the personal accounts of this heritage. This gives rise to a conceptual map based on the superimposition of times and events, a display of experiences which make up a landscape interpreting the memory of this location. At its core, this paper proposes a broader reflection on the use of representation, combining archival information with the subjective recording of architecture and landscape. Driving this work we find an approach to history with space for many different documents and realities, which cartography should be able to elucidate, shape and interpret.