The fourth edition of the comic book "Histórias à Sombra do Montado" was launched in Odemira on Saturday, the 5th, an initiative of Ronha – Associação Cultural. The work features four stories written by authors Ana Pessoa, Marta Oliveira, Rafael Dionísio and Ricardo Henriques, adapted into comics by illustrators Alain Corbel, João Fazenda, Ostraliana and Susa Monteiro. Created in 2022 by the association, with support from Odemira Municipality, the project emerges as a "tribute" to the Alentejo cork oak woodland, both as an environmental system and as an identifying element of the territory.
The cork oak woodland is described as one of the most characteristic ecosystems of the Alentejo, with important environmental, economic and social dimensions. In addition to cork production, it contributes to biodiversity conservation, soil protection and the maintenance of rural landscapes. The invited writers and artists visited the municipality of Odemira to, based on their experiences, develop the narratives in collaboration.
The 2026 edition has a print run of 4,000 copies, distributed free of charge throughout the municipality, and is also available for download on the project's official website. The work was publicly presented at the José Saramago Municipal Library, at a session integrated into the celebrations of the 26th anniversary of this cultural space, which reopened to the public after being closed for a year for renovation works.
The president of Odemira Municipality, Hélder Guerreiro, highlighted that the launch coincides with the reopening of the library, noting that both "heritages" share the mission of preservation. According to the mayor, "the montado preserves biodiversity, protects the soils and sustains the landscape", while "the library preserves our history, memory and words", taking care of what we want to leave for future generations.
