Restoration begins on the old colonial buildings of the Seminário-Liceu in Ribeira Brava

A building with a century and a half of history

The first phase of restoration has an estimated budget of 35,000,000 CVE.

The cost of restoring heritage on a remote island

Heritage restoration costs around 85,000 CVE per square metre.

A heritage site that is also a property asset

If put to tourism or residential use, it could exceed 60,000,000 CVE.

Between educational use and property pressure

Warnings have been raised about the risk of speculation if heritage protection is not guaranteed.

A century and a half educating generations of Cape Verdeans

Founded in the 19th century, the Seminário-Liceu of Ribeira Brava was for decades one of the few centres where young people from the islands could access secondary education, shaping much of the first generation of Cape Verdean professionals, including several figures from the archipelago's political history. Its symbolic value explains the care with which cultural authorities are approaching any intervention on the complex.

A project to be carried out in several phases

The initial budget of 35,000,000 CVE covers only the first phase of restoration, focused on roofing and structure, according to project officials. Later phases are planned for facades, joinery and interior fit-out, subject to the availability of fresh funding, both public and from international cultural cooperation interested in preserving the archipelago's educational heritage.

Education, museum or accommodation: the debate over its future use

While part of the building will remain linked to teaching, another wing of the complex could be turned into museum or cultural space, a formula already used in other former colonial buildings in the country. Some voices in the tourism sector also point to the property's potential as a landmark place to stay in Ribeira Brava, given the building's historical appeal to visitors interested in Cabo Verde's educational history.

The warning against property speculation

Heritage officials insist that any tourism or residential use of the complex must be subject to strict protection rules, to prevent the building's historical value from ending up subordinate to property returns. The concern stems from cases seen on other islands, where former public buildings, once restored and opened to the private market, ended up appreciating far beyond expectations.