Collective bread baking and cooking as a symbolic act of solidarity and self-organization
At the cultural and community center Jardins do Bombarda, located on the grounds of the former Miguel Bombarda Psychiatric Hospital in Lisbon, a historic fireplace in the Casinha (little house), the former staff kitchen, has been transformed into a communal clay oven. Operated by Largo Residências, a cooperative for culture and solidarity, collective bread baking and cooking have become integral parts of social life in the neighborhood. As in earlier centuries, when bakehouses were common throughout Europe, the oven serves not only a practical purpose but also functions as a site for meeting and exchange. It stands as a tangible symbol of self-organization and collective spirit within the diverse community surrounding the site.
