The Portuguese Way of St. James is traveled by people seeking well-being, self-therapy, or answers to their personal and religious/spiritual issues. The evaluation of the landscape and its senses and how these may contribute to the well-being of pilgrims are subjects that have been little explored. This research was carried out to understand how the landscape can influence someone’s well-being and the senses it awakens. The municipality of Barcelos was the one chosen as representative territory to apply a new method, which includes a participant observation together with the visual documentation of 310 photographs of its main elements and the analysis of a grid of 22 variables. The main result from this method points out the relevance of diversified landscapes with a remarkable variation in colors and sounds. Some gaps in this method were also identified, including the need for improvements by local authorities to contribute to maximized health outcomes.
Existem muito estudos que se reportam ao Caminho de Santiago, mas poucos se têm dedicado à avaliação da paisagem e aos sentidos experienciados pelo peregrino. Barcelos é um município do Caminho Português a Santiago que constitui um bom laboratório de análise destes elementos. Tendo por base estes pressupostos foi realizado um estudo em 2020 e em 2022 sobre o percurso de 33,6 km do município de Barcelos. Usando uma grelha de 22 variáveis, foram analisadas sobretudo o tipo de paisagem, os sentidos, os locais para descanso e meditação e os pontos de água potável. Os resultados revelam que, apesar das melhorias ocorridas entre 2020 e 2022, ainda é necessário concretizar algumas correções, no sentido de melhorar o bem-estar e a saúde mental do peregrino.
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