I like the study of medieval castles and fortifications, not only for the military implications but for their construction methods, renovations and adaptations to new technologies through the eras an the many functions they had in a particularly society during their existence. How where they seen, what differences exist in different cultures and lands Et cetera.
I have been closely studying the remains of the castle of the city of Braga, northern Portugal for about 5 to 6 years now. Not only ido I visit the ruins, I also document them, gather forgotten documental information and I am trying to represent the castle through the eras in a three dimensional way, using new technologies and old school techniques like dioramas. I try to pass all the information I have to others in chats in schools, libraries and a small blog that has not been very successful, unhappily.
I also love Roman and Medieval woodworking. I am a woodworker myself, and build tool replicas from Roman and Medieval times. I have participated in several expositions explaining how the ancients worked wood and I am trying to collaborate with the city museum introducing a living Roman Era workshop for young students, but is is a bit difficult and frustrating for I do not have a college degree.
So, this year, at 48 years old, I enrolled in the History course at university and my hope is to be able to become a fully fledged historian with some kind of specialization in Roman and Medieval times woodworking construction techniques and tools.
