It’s been 30 years of unforgettable and rewarding conservation-restoration interventions from the North to the South of the country, including autonomous regions, and beyond our borders, always focusing on safeguarding cultural heritage – in dialogue with all those we work with and committed to constant learning and knowledge sharing.
Here we share some records of the recognition that this approach has earned us over the years, as well as some of our learnings from heritage conservation.
"O trabalho da Nova Conservação é, na nossa experiência, sempre garantia da exigência nos critérios e ética da disciplina da Conservação e Restauro."
Religious Organization
"É de realçar o elevado profissionalismo demonstrado na abordagem da obra e a qualidade documental que permite, com rigor, constatar a natureza da intervenção efectuada."
Central State
“O que distinguiu a Nova Conservação (...) foi o exame muito atento das estruturas a restaurar (…). Todas as fases do processo correram muitíssimo bem (…) pelo que a nossa satisfação foi total.”
Private Entity
“A empresa Nova Conservação correspondeu de forma muito positiva ao desafio tecnicamente muito exigente (...). Em todas as reuniões havidas no desenrolar da intervenção, todas as nossas solicitações foram atendidas de forma exemplar.”
Private Entity
“Quando o conhecimento técnico e o profissionalismo é aplicado de uma forma aberta, pronto a ser partilhado, a qualidade do trabalho é elemento de prova.”
Municipality
“Na minha opinião a Nova Conservação é uma das empresas de conservação e restauro de referência no mercado português. A sua atitude de abertura e mútua ajuda com os colegas confirma uma avaliação muito positiva.”
Municipality
“A equipa da firma Nova Conservação demonstrou elevado profissionalismo, responsabilidade, competência técnica e excelente nível de colaboração com o dono de obra.”
Central State | Ministerial Dept.
Awards granted to interventions by Nova Conservação or in which we collaborated
2013 S. Bento Station
The jury of the SOS Azulejo Awards honored REFER in the 'Conservation and Restoration Intervention' category for the "conservation and restoration work carried out at Pinhão Station and S. Bento Station".
2009 Estoi Palace Inn
Special Turismo de Portugal Award for the Pousada do Palácio de Estoi, in Faro.
2009 Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha
Honorable mention in the category "Requalification of a Public Project" for the Enhancement of the Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha, in Coimbra.
2011 Roman ruins of Troia
The jury awarded an honorable mention in the "New Public Project" category for the Enhancement of the Roman Ruins of Tróia.
2022 Museum of Lagos - Dr José Formosinho
The APOM Awards Jury (Portuguese Association of Museology) awarded an Honorable Mention to the Lagos Museum - Dr. José Formosinho Museum Center in the Museum of the Year category.
2021 Jerónimos Monastery
The Jury of the APOM Awards (Portuguese Association of Museology) distinguished the "Ecological practices in conservation" implemented in the cloister of the Jerónimos Monastery in the "Intervention in Conservation and Restoration" category.
2018 Funchal Museum of Sacred Art
The APOM Awards Jury (Portuguese Association of Museology) awarded an Honorable Mention in the "Conservation and Restoration Intervention" category to the Museum of Sacred Art in Funchal.
2023 Islamic Baths of Loulé
The APOM Awards Jury (Portuguese Association of Museology) distinguished the Loulé Municipal Museum | Islamic Baths and the Barreto Manor House in Loulé in the "Safeguarding, Conservation and Restoration in Cultural Heritage" category.
2021 MIAA Abrantes
The APOM Awards Jury (Portuguese Association of Museology) awarded the "Museum of the Year" prize to the Abrantes Iberian Museum of Archaeology and Art (MIAA).
2014 S. Bento Station
Prize awarded for the conservation and restoration work on the tile panels at S. Bento Station in Porto.
1999 Torre de Belém
The EUROPA NOSTRA Award jury highlighted "the admirable restoration of one of Portugal's most beautiful monuments (...), based on in-depth scientific research and carried out using the most advanced restoration techniques, thus maintaining its original appearance."
2016 Santarém Diocesan Museum
The Jury of the EUROPA NOSTRA Prize distinguished the interventions in the Cathedral and the Diocesan Museum of Santarém, highlighting that "The conservation of paintings, sculptures, ecclesiastical objects (...) was carried out with efficiency and great attention to detail by the conservators. (...)"
2010 Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha
The Jury of the EUROPA NOSTRA Prize distinguished the project to enhance the Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha, in Coimbra "warmly (...), for its careful selection of traditional conservation techniques and for the continuous monitoring and maintenance of the site. (...) The democratic and permanent dialogue (...) guaranteed the implementation of appropriate and up-to-date conservation options."
2014 Santarém Diocesan Museum
The jury of the Gulbenkian Patrimony - Vasco Vilalva Award distinguished the project to create a Museum of Sacred Art for the Diocese of Santarém, highlighting "not only the importance of this new museum for the cultural dynamism of the region, but also the restoration and conservation work carried out on the cathedral and its movable heritage as part of this project."
2018 Church of Santa Isabel
The jury of the Gulbenkian Heritage Prize - Tereza and Vasco Vilalva distinguished the project for the functional and constructive rehabilitation, redesign of the furniture and restoration of paintings in the Church of Santa Isabel, in Lisbon, highlighting, among other aspects, "the multidisciplinarity and extremely high level of qualification of the team (...)".
2023 Islamic Baths of Loulé
The jury of the National Urban Rehabilitation Award distinguished the Loulé Islamic Baths musealization project in the "Best Intervention Under 1,000 M2" category.
2023 Batalha Cinema
The jury of the National Urban Rehabilitation Award distinguished the rehabilitation of the Batalha Cinema in Porto in the "Best Intervention with Social Impact" category.
Publications on projects/interventions by Nova Conservação
AAVV, Banhos Islâmicos e Casa Senhorial dos Barreto. Do lugar ao museu; edited by Câmara Municipal de Loulé; 2023; article (in Portuguese) pp. 279 - 287
AAVV; Património a Norte collection, nr 15; Edited by Direção Regional de Cultura do Norte; Oporto; 2023; 4 articles: pp. 81-91; 93-103; 119-131; 177-187
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Published by Câmara Municipal de Lisboa and Associação World Monuments Fund Portugal, Lisbon, October 2018; 4 articles: pp. 40-54, 82-101, 102-122, 124-129
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AAVV. I templi di Paestum. Tra restauro e manutenzione; compiled by Giovanna di Palma; Edited by Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione ed il Restauro; Published by Gangemi Editore Spa.; 2018; 8 chapters co-authored by Paola Coghi
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Conservar Património, nr 25, ARP edition, Lisbon, May 2017, pp. 57-65
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Rossio. estudos de Lisboa nr 6, Edition by Câmara Municipal de Lisboa, April 2016; pp 57-67
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Heritage Collection, Volume 1, SCML Edition, Lisbon, November 2016, pp. 65-76
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Rossio. estudos de Lisboa nr 5, Edition by Câmara Municipal de Lisboa, June 2015; pp. 256-267
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Atas do III International Meeting on Retouching of Cultural Heritage (RECH 3), 2015; pp. 93–102
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Património, nr 2, Edition by DGPC, Lisbon, November 2014; pp. 102-107
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AAVV, "Os Jardins do Palácio Nacional de Queluz. Intervenção de Conservação", published by the World Monuments Fund Portugal Association and the World Monuments Fund, 2012, pp. 99-112.
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Restoration of Buildings and Monuments, Vol. 15, n. 6, 2009, pp. 417–430
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Conservar Património, nr 10, Edition by ARP, 2009; pp. 9-17
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Pedra & Cal Magazine nr 39, GECORPA Edition, July - September 2008, Lisbon, pp. 28 - 30
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Conservar Património, nr 8, Edition by ARP, 2008; pp. 39-47
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2nd volume of the proceedings of the III Congress of Archaeology Trás-os-Montes, Alto Douro and Beira Interior - The art of conservation, Vale do Coa Archaeological Park, 2006, p. 81 - 102.
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Estudos/Património - Património Arquitectónico. Registration, Interpretation and Intervention Criteria, nr 9, 2006; pp. 184-194
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AAVV, Jerónimos Monastery, the conservation intervention of the cloister/Jerónimos Monastery, the conservation intervention of the cloister, Colecção "Cadernos", 1st Edition, Lisbon, IPPAR Edition, 2006, bilingual edition: Portuguese - English. Article: pp. 145-175
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Estudos/Património - Interventions in Heritage, no. 8, 2005, pp. 67-72
Article in Portuguese (pdf)
Estudos/Património - Salvaguarda. Memória. Intervenções, nr 5, 2003; pp. 153-158
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Estudos/Património - Ciências e Técnicas Aplicadas ao Património, no. 3 (out of print), 2002, pp. 63-69
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AAVV, Igreja de Santa Cruz de Coimbra. História, Conservação e Restauro da Fachada e Arco Triunfal, "Cadernos" Collection, 1st Edition, Lisbon, IPPAR Edition, November 2001. Article: pp. 145-172 and Graphic sheets: pp. 175-207
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ARCHEO, year XVI, nr 6, June 2000; pp. 40-47
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AAVV, Torre de Belém. Intervenção de Conservação do Exterior/Exterior Conservation Work, Coordination: CHAROLA, A. Elena, Colecção "Cadernos", 1st Edition, Lisbon, IPPAR Edition, 2000, bilingual edition: Portuguese - English. Article: pp. 99-112 and Graphic sheets: pp. 113-139
Article excerpt in Portuguese/Summary in EnglishSelection of articles and reports on interventions carried out by Nova Conservação
Conservation of the wall paintings
Conservation of the monument's exterior
Conservation of the historical interiors
Cloister's conservation
Conservation of the monument
Exterior conservation (including Porta Especiosa)
Conservation of the historical interiors