La Ponte Ecomuseu
The Ponte ecomuseum is an interdisciplinary, open, experimental and collaborative work space in which science, territory and heritage are central themes. It´s a community and rural heritage organisation located in a small municipality (Santu Adrianu), with less than 260 inhabitants, in the central area of Asturias (Spain). It was described as a social enterprise of knowledge, which works based on the rationality of economic means and resources, but with social and cultural purposes and a strong link with the territory and its community. So the ecomuseum Works together action-research, science and knowledge, community action, cultural heritage and territory.
One of the cornerstones of the ecomuseum is the idea that sustainability of rural territories is not possible without valuing the ancestral knowledge of the communities that created our cultural landscapes. This is the reason why an important part of our work is aimed at promoting values and attitudes of respect, coexistence, empathy and collaboration towards rural communities, the heirs of peasant memory.
Historical, archaeological and ethnographic research is carried out at the ecomuseum. Scientific and cultural heritage dissemination is carried out through interpretative cultural routes, annual heritage days and scientific publications. It also develops community work and innovation, science and experimentation through social entrepreneurship.
La Ponte EComuseu CULTURALITY TEAM
Carmen Pérez Maestro
Carmen is a Doctor in History, Culture and Thought from the University of Alcalá, and holds a degree in Geography and History with specialisations in Prehistory and American Anthropology from the Complutense University of Madrid. She belongs to the research group on prehistoric graffiti and human settlement of the area of Prehistory at the University of Alcalá, to the Ibero-American Research Network on Rock Art in Latin America created from the University of Seville, to the group of Teaching Innovation in Heritage Education at the University of Vigo and is a team member of La Ponte Ecomuseum since 2013 where she has developed her expertise as an interpreter of cultural heritage. She was a professor at the University of Vigo and at the Universidad de los Andes, the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana and the Universidad del Externado in Colombia. Her current research lines are rock art and landscape and heritage, memory and communities. She is the editorial secretary of the ecomuseum’s scientific publication Cuadiernu: International Journal of Heritage, Social Museology, Memory and Territory.
Sofía González Sandoval
Sofía González Sandoval is anthropologist and sociologist with interdisciplinary training and international experience in research, sustainable development, and community-based work. Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Sociology from Universidad del Valle, Guatemala, and a Master of Science in Anthropology and Development Studies from Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Her professional background combines fieldwork, applied research, and project coordination in multicultural settings, with a focus on gender, rights, and sustainability. As a researcher at the Sustainable Economic Observatory, she focused on community based economic alternatives, environmental sustainability, food sovereignty, and sustainable development. She also served as coordinator of a cultural exchange project between Maya weavers/artists from Guatemala and weavers/artists from Bavaria, Germany. She participated as a researcher in the BESPOKE project, aimed at strengthening local economies by engaging and developing creative producer communities in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Munich. The project promoted sustainable craft production and explored how local producers, artisans, and artists adapt to the challenges of climate change.
Maria José Tudela Castro
Maria José Tudela Castro is sociologist with a degree from the University of Granada and specialized expertise in designing social research using qualitative and mixed methodologies. She has experience as a research and knowledge transfer officer within the associative sector, particularly focused on disability and autism. Has led and contributed to research aimed at improving access to healthcare, justice, education, and community participation for people on the autism spectrum. Skilled in qualitative and participatory research methods, and in the creation of inclusive, didactic, and accessible materials to support effective knowledge transfer. Worked with the Spanish Autism Confederation, applying research to influence policies and practices with measurable social impact. Complemented by international academic experience through a social sciences exchange program at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil).
