On Tuesday 15 October at 4pm, the Interpretation Centre of the Romanesque in Lousada will host the presentation of the Ad Orientem website.

Promoted by the cultural association Projecto Cardo, Ad Orientem is a bilingual digital platform (Portuguese and English) that brings together detailed information on the acoustics and architecture of 12 monuments in the north of Portugal.

This platform, which combines music, heritage and technology, will enable musicians, producers and event organisers from all over the world to select the most suitable venues for concerts and recordings.

Between November 2023 and April 2024, the Ensemble Cardo-Roxo presented the Ad Orientem concert cycle, which toured 12 monuments in the north, including seven on the Route of the Romanesque.

In addition to the live concerts, the project involved the recording of a traditional local song at each of the 12 monuments, with arrangements created by the Ensemble Cardo-Roxo or by guest composers.

These recordings will form part of a 12-piece disc that will be released by the end of 2024, accompanying the website and giving new life to these traditional songs.

Ad Orientem was organised in partnership with the Direção Regional de Cultura Norte (which has since been converted into the public institute Património Cultural) and the Route of the Romanesque, and with the support of the Direção-Geral das Artes and Antena 2.