The following interactive project is proposed by our educational center, the main purpose of which is to initiate the interest of young people in the historical and artistic legacy. It is an Escape Room, designed and executed by the secondary students themselves, and guided by the teachers, which focuses on exploring and promoting the cultural heritage of a school building in Spain.

The Real Colegio de Nuestra Señora de la Antigua is an emblematic building of great historical and artistic value located in the south province of Lugo, more specifically in Monforte de Lemos, the capital of the Ribeira Sacra. Built by the Spanish architect Juan de Herrera (creator of the famous Spanish architectural style, known as Herreriano), it is often known as the Galician Escorial, as it is one of the few displays of this style in Galicia. It was founded by Cardinal Rodrigo de Castro and was originally run by the Jesuits. Currently, this center is run by the Piarist Fathers and has been declared an Asset of Cultural Interest.

It is precisely a result of this genuine context that the project "The Enigma of the Cardinal" arises as an innovative means involving students in an original and memorable way, with the history and art that surrounds them. At this point, this project aims to achieve the following objectives:

1. To promote knowledge and appreciation of the historical-artistic heritage of the school building among students.

2. To stimulate critical thinking and problem-solving through playful and collaborative activities.

3. To encourage teamwork and effective communication among participants, which will be carried out in an inclusive, integrative way based on mutual respect.

4. To develop creativity and design skills in the elaboration of the escape room by the students.

5. To provide a meaningful and memorable learning experience for students.

This ambitious project has been developed in different phases:

The first phase consisted of researching and reviewing all the existing documentation about the history of the building. During this process, it was surprisingly discovered that a robbery had been committed in the building in 1993, in which three jewels of great value belonging to the cardinal were stolen, and the crime is still unsolved to this day! Once the information and research were compiled, students (guided by their teachers) devised a series of challenges that the participants of the escape room will have to solve before advancing in the story and discovering more about the school's heritage: particularities and architectural richness, key characters in its construction and other remarkable moments, such as the Lisbon earthquake of 1755, or the controversial sale of the original painting of "The Adoration of the Kings", by Hugo de Van der Goes, at the end of 1903. These challenges will include puzzles, secret codes, hidden clues, and more.

The second phase dealt with the elaboration of the different elements of the escape room. This included creating puzzles and clues based on the building's heritage, decorating the space, and preparing any necessary materials. Among this material, and due to the fragility of some areas in which the escape room takes place, it has been decided to design a digital application that will serve as a guide during the game. In it, the answers to the riddles will be introduced, videos will be played which will guide the participants, etc. Therefore, it can be said that the project favors the use of ICTs.

Finally, once the escape room is completed by its participants and verified by both teachers and students, sessions were organized so that other students, between the ages of 10 and 12, could participate. Small groups were established, supervised, and guided at all times by the students who have created the game who, in addition, explained participants the theme and the rules of the game. At the end of each session, feedback was given to analyze the experience and reflect on the learning acquired.

Essentially, we would like to make a brief reference to the impact of this project on the school community, as well as on the perception of the school's historic-artistic heritage. We believe that involving students in the creation and execution of the escape room has served fruitfully to foster a greater sense of belonging and pride in our school, as well as to develop and improve key skills and competencies essential for their personal and academic growth.

In conclusion, this educational escape room is an innovative and effective tool that promotes interest in and appreciation for the school's historical-artistic heritage, while offering students the opportunity to develop creative, collaborative, and problem-solving skills that will be valuable to them in posterity.

It is also a project to which both the teaching team that has guided the students, as well as the rest of the educational community, see possibilities for improvement and expansion. The idea is that through different adaptations, this work can be extended to other areas and even disseminated among audiences outside the school community; Therefore, it could be said that we are looking at the starting point of a project that could have a greater impact in the long term.