Escola Regenerativa de Forniçô is a cooperative-run regenerative learning centre located in rural central Portugal. Born from the search for a “lost village”, the project emerged through the collective efforts of a group of teachers who came together to restore an abandoned village and reimagine community life. Within this village—continually being restored—we offer hands-on explorations in agroecology, traditional skills, natural building techniques, holistic health, and community living. Escola Regenerativa is both a place of learning and a living experiment in regeneration.
Founded five years ago, our vision grew from a deep desire to revive not only a village and its surrounding landscape, but also ways of living that have largely been forgotten. Inspired by Proust’s À la recherche du temps perdu, our journey became À la recherche du village perdu—a search for another way of being together, rooted in creation, collaboration, and inspiration.
The logo of Escola Regenerativa is a broken circle inspired by Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken ceramics with gold. Rather than concealing the cracks, Kintsugi highlights them — honoring fracture as part of an object’s history and transformation. What was once broken becomes more meaningful, not despite its scars, but because of them.
In the same way, our broken circle speaks of restoration and renewal. Its lines symbolize the veins of the land and the veins within the human body — a life pulsation moving through soil and skin. They recall the cracks in our old granite ruins, reminders of collapse and the possibility of regeneration.
The circle itself reflects the cycles that govern all living systems. Nothing is linear; everything moves in rhythms — decay and growth, loss and renewal, endings that give rise to beginnings.
Escola Regenerativa de Forniço forms the educational branch of the cooperative Farol do Colibri and was launched officially at the beginning of 2026.
We raise awareness of being at the service of natural processes and are conscious of our ecological footprint. We actively restore, nurture and regenerate the systems we are part of—natural, social, cultural, and economic.
We believe community lies at the heart of what it means to be human. Our souls are shaped through belonging, sustained by mutual care, and strengthened by our interdependence.
We demonstrate a living practice that weaves storytelling, food, land art, and artistic research into regenerative ways of learning and being.
This project is, in many ways, built upon the generations who came before us. The search for the land, the land itself, and the stories, dreams, and hopes carried through time have all shaped what Escola Regenerativa is becoming. Here, we invite you to meet a few of the villagers who are part of bringing this vision to life, while honouring all those whose paths and contributions made it possible.
Connect with us to explore our workshops, events, and exchange programs. Your journey starts here.
