The project “Apelido Bucelas: Repository of Collective and Family Memory” was developed by Miguel António Fernandes Jacinto, an 18-year-old Vocational Informatics student at Escola Secundária Dr. António de Carvalho Figueiredo in Loures, under the academic guidance of History teacher Nelson Tiago Ferreira Ribeiro. It was submitted to the 18th Eustory History Competition – My Family in History, a program that encourages young people across Europe to explore their personal and family pasts as a gateway to understanding broader historical processes.

Origins and Inspiration

The initial spark for the project came from a seemingly ordinary household object: a late-19th-century collar iron inherited from Miguel’s grandmother. What at first appeared to be a small piece of family memorabilia soon became the central symbol of an ambitious research endeavor. By questioning its origins, function, and symbolic meaning, Miguel uncovered a pathway to understanding not only his own family’s story but also the broader cultural identity of Bucelas, a village in the municipality of Loures, Portugal.

This object served as the gateway to history. It became a catalyst for broader reflection on how family artifacts and stories—often preserved quietly within homes—can illuminate the daily lives, traditions, and values of past generations. From this initial curiosity grew the idea of building a digital repository that would not only safeguard his family’s memory but also provide the community of Bucelas with a living, collaborative platform for preserving its shared heritage.

Objectives

The project pursued three interconnected objectives:

1. Preservation – safeguarding both material and immaterial heritage by recording, cataloguing, and digitizing objects, places, and testimonies linked to Bucelas and to Miguel’s family.
2. Education – creating a resource that could be used by schools, teachers, and students to understand history through the lens of family and local heritage.
3. Community Engagement – opening the platform to residents, local associations, and institutions, allowing them to share their own memories and contribute to a collective repository.

Methodology and Development

The work unfolded in multiple stages, combining historical research, technical innovation, and community participation.

• Collection of Family Objects: Miguel began by identifying and cataloguing family artifacts. Each item was photographed, described, and associated with oral testimonies from relatives.
• Expansion to Local Heritage: The scope then broadened through a guided visit to the Vine and Wine Museum of Bucelas, where relevant objects were recorded and documented.
• Built Heritage Mapping: Using georeferencing tools, Miguel created an interactive map of Bucelas, identifying historically significant buildings such as churches, wineries, fountains, and manor houses.
• Intangible Heritage: He incorporated audiovisual resources on traditional crafts—such as cooperage and basketry—documenting practices at risk of disappearing.
• Community Contributions: Through calls to action and local partnerships, families were invited to share objects and stories, reinforcing the idea that heritage preservation is a collective endeavor.
• Expert Testimonies: Interviews with heritage specialists provided a professional perspective on the value of family memory and local history.
• Teachers’ Perspectives: An online survey answered by 135 History teachers explored how family history is integrated into classrooms and confirmed the pedagogical potential of personal objects as sources for historical understanding.
• Civic Voices: Local officials, including parish leaders, contributed reflections on the importance of memory for identity, belonging, and cultural development.

Website Features

The result of this process is a public website – apelido-bucelas-publicsite.up.railway.app – structured into multiple thematic sections:

• Family Heritage: photographs and descriptions of family objects.
• Built Heritage: an interactive map with historical notes on Bucelas landmarks.
• Intangible Heritage: curated videos showcasing traditional crafts.
• Bucelas in the Media: audiovisual records from local and national sources.
• Piece of the Month: monthly highlights of significant artifacts.
• Voices of Specialists, Teachers, and Mayors: reflections from professionals, educators, and civic leaders.
• Share Your Story: an open form for community members to contribute their own materials.

Results and Achievements

The Apelido Bucelas project produced tangible and intangible outcomes:

• A digital heritage repository that is functional, visually appealing, and open to continuous growth.
• A pedagogical tool for teachers and students, showing how history can be taught through objects, memory, and local narratives.
• A community archive that strengthens intergenerational dialogue and fosters civic participation.
• An example of interdisciplinary practice, where a student from a technical background applied his digital skills to cultural heritage, proving that history can be meaningfully studied outside the formal curriculum.

Impact and Significance

The project demonstrates how family history can bridge the gap between private memory and public history. By preserving the stories of ordinary people, communities can build a stronger sense of identity and continuity. In Bucelas, a village best known for its wine traditions, the repository adds a new dimension to local heritage: it brings together objects, testimonies, and digital innovation in a single accessible platform.

Educationally, the project reinforces the idea that history is not confined to textbooks. Through objects like a collar iron, young people can engage critically with the past, learning to value both the material and immaterial traces of previous generations. For teachers, the repository offers ready-to-use resources and demonstrates the pedagogical potential of family memory.

Culturally, the project emphasizes that heritage is dynamic. It is not only preserved in museums but also lived daily in homes, practices, and community traditions. By involving residents, institutions, and local officials, Apelido Bucelas ensures that memory is treated as a collective responsibility and a source of cohesion.

Conclusion

Apelido Bucelas exemplifies the transformative potential of digital humanities projects developed at the school level. It shows how a motivated student, guided by a committed tutor, can produce work that is academically rigorous, technically innovative, and socially meaningful.

What began with a small household object evolved into a living digital repository that preserves the past, educates the present, and inspires the future. It is a model of how technology, history, and community can come together to create knowledge, foster identity, and strengthen cultural bonds.