RECONSTRUCTING MONASTIC FOOD CULTURE. PROGRESS AT SANTA CRUZ

Within Work Package “Reconfiguring UNESCO Heritage Buildings through Food Heritage”, the CONVIVIUM project is advancing the digital reconstruction of the refectory and kitchens of the Monastery of Santa Cruz (Coimbra, Portugal), focusing not only on architecture but also on food culture and daily life.

In close collaboration with researchers, we are defining a historically grounded monastic menu, based on a simple and regulated diet:

• Thick bread-based soups with herbs

• Fish as the main dish

• Bread as a central element

• Wine diluted with water

• Seasonal vegetables

Translating this into a hyper-realistic 3D environment requires careful work, where every detail — from food textures to table settings — is adjusted to balance historical accuracy and visual clarity.

Beyond food, these scenes help reveal the social organization and roles within the monastery, connecting kitchen and refectory as key spaces of monastic life.

As a next step, this methodology will be extended to the other refectories in the project, ensuring consistency while adapting to each historical context.