FROM PORTUGAL TO LUXEMBOURG
Paths of Emigration from Castro Daire
Community sessions to collect life stories and sensory memories
June 25th to the 27th, 2025
Luxembourg City Library
Esch-sur-Alzette Municipal Library
Dudelange Regional Public Library
The first phase of the project “From Portugal to Luxembourg. Paths of Emigration from Castro Daire” took place between June, 25th and 27th. The initiative is promoted by Binaural Nodar, by the Municipality of Castro Daire, through its Municipal Library, as well as by the municipal libraries of Luxembourg City, Esch-sur-Alzette, and Dudelange.
The project began with a series of community audiovisual sessions that collected life stories, professions, some memorable moments of departure and arrival, vacation trips to Portugal, and many other episodes that make up the daily life of migrants. Special attention was given to sensory experiences — such as sounds and music, images, landscapes, gastronomy, smells, etc. — that mark the intersection between memories of the homeland and experiences in the new host territory.
The project will culminate in the publication, in 2026, of a book that will bring together testimonies, photographs, and QR codes for the interviews, which will consist of a joint edition by all the partners involved.
This project is also part of the activities of the Tramontana Network, a European network dedicated to rural ethnography and the preservation, among other themes, of memories of emigration and social change. The Tramontana Network brings together cultural associations from seven countries — Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Albania, Romania, and Poland — and is co-financed by the Creative Europe program until 2027, promoting intercultural dialogue and the enhancement of European intangible heritage.
Binaural Nodar is a organization supported by the Portuguese Republic – Culture | Directorate-General for the Arts.
