Vila do Maio restores a handful of traditional houses tied to the old salt industry

An architectural legacy at risk

The old town still holds houses dating from the heyday of the salt trade with England.

Restoration, one house at a time

The work costs between 1,500,000 and 3,000,000 CVE per house.

A shortage of specialist labour

Specialists have to be brought in from Santiago, pushing up the cost of every project.

A heritage still seeking recognition

The institutional support on offer remains very limited.

Memories of the salt port

In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the port of Vila do Maio shipped salt to European markets, and the profits paid for many of the houses in the old town. Owners of the period fitted them with iron balustrades and joinery brought in from Portugal and England. The decline of the salt industry left much of the quarter without maintenance for decades. Local historians regard the neighbourhood as preserving a documentary value rarely found elsewhere in the archipelago.

The role of the diaspora

Much of the restoration work under way is funded by Cabo Verdeans living in the United States, the Netherlands and Portugal who still own their family homes. These owners typically commission the work from abroad, coordinating with relatives or local managers who oversee progress on site. For many, the restoration reflects both a sentimental bond with Maio and the wish to have a home to return to. Local developers admit that without this money from overseas, much of the current work would never have started.

How other islands compare

In Boa Vista and Sal, the restoration of colonial architecture is moving faster thanks to pressure from tourism and municipal incentive schemes. Maio, with far fewer visitors, lacks that same spur, which slows the pace of work. Specialists in the field believe the island could benefit from similar arrangements if it managed to attract steadier tourist demand. For now, restoration depends almost entirely on private initiative.

Heritage status still outstanding

Local groups have spent years calling for stronger protected status for the historic centre of Vila do Maio, in line with other town centres in the country. Municipal authorities acknowledge that the support available falls well short of what the work actually costs. One resident interviewed by this newspaper summed it up by saying it is a pleasure to see these façades standing again, but more families need to be living there all year round. Without a clearer framework of incentives, the pace of restoration will continue to rest on each owner's own efforts.