The central object of this project is to carry out a set of Technical Studies for Characterization and Survey of the Montado. Such studies should allow establishing preliminary elements for the Montado as Cultural Landscape the studies should also allow to assess the feasibility of a possible proposal of classification by UNESCO of Montado as a World Heritage.

In this framework several actions were developed by the QP Team in order to identify, survey and characterize the richness, integrity and authenticity of the Montado ecosystem, considering different aspects, such as its territorial nature, biophysics, landscaping, but also human, socio-cultural and symbolic, and also considering the analysis of the different territorial management tools available.

Methodologically, the work was performed following several related steps, including: a review of the conceptual framework for the Montado; a first approach in the territory, based on different planning and cartographic tools; in-depth analysis of several selected pilot-zones in order to set the concepts and criteria for the area’s delimitation; attributes and values selection according to the UNESCO World Heritage’s criteria for the assessment of Outstanding Universal Value and identification of the mains problems and risks for the site’s management; and proposal of a conceptual and territorial delimitation of Montado.

All survey and analysis works and the delimitation proposed for the Montado Cultural Landscape, both in conceptual and territorial levels (including characterization of its specific elements that allow to differentiate the Montado from other cultural landscapes), conducted by the QP team, have benefited of an ongoing assessment and validation by a Scientific Committee and an Executive Committee constituted by the Entidade Regional de Turismo do Alentejo, in order to monitoring these technical studies. Beyond that, the technical team used countless bibliographic and documental information and promoted technical meetings wit different experts.