I almost never leave one-star reviews, but artists deserve to know what they're signing up for before spending their money here.
My criticism is specifically about the summer residency. If Convento de Mértola is not equipped to safely host artists during July and August, then it simply should not be accepting paying residents during those months.
I arrived after months of planning, only to discover that the reality was completely different from what had been communicated.
The first shock came immediately: there were mice in my bed when I arrived. That alone should have been enough to question whether the accommodation was suitable for guests.
The next surprise was that I had specifically asked before booking whether I would be okay without a car. I was reassured that I would, and that supermarkets were about 10 minutes away on foot. This was simply not true. The nearest supermarket is at least 25 minutes away, requiring you to walk alongside 70 km/h roads with no sidewalks, including crossing a dangerous bridge. In the middle of a Portuguese summer, this isn't just inconvenient—it's unsafe.
It became even worse when I discovered that the tap water wasn't drinkable, something I was never warned about beforehand. Since you can't rely on the water on site, you're forced to make those long walks regularly just to buy drinking water. I was told that rides or taxis could sometimes be arranged, but in the same conversation I was also told that the owner would be leaving halfway through the residency. So there was never any reliable solution in place. Basic necessities like safe drinking water should not depend on hoping someone is around to give you a lift.
The studios themselves are completely unsuitable for summer. They have little to no insulation, making them unbearably hot throughout the day. I was initially told to keep the windows and doors closed to keep the space cool, despite the fact that I was expected to paint inside. Any artist knows that spending hours working with paint fumes in an enclosed, unventilated room is unsafe. When I pointed this out, the advice suddenly changed to "oh, but you can ventilate." That contradiction alone shows how little thought has been given to the actual working conditions of artists.
This is the fundamental issue: Convento de Mértola is charging artists for a residency without making the investments necessary to make it liveable in the summer. If you're inviting people to live and work there during July and August, then proper insulation, safe accommodation, reliable drinking water, and realistic transport options aren't luxuries, they're the bare minimum.
After one night, it became clear that I couldn't safely stay or work there, so I left. Despite leaving almost immediately, they refused to refund any of the residency fee.
The organization repeatedly describes itself as a non-profit, but that argument is difficult to take seriously when artists are paying substantial fees while there appears to have been so little investment in improving the facilities. The family running the residency lives on the property, yet basic infrastructure (safe drinking water, adequate insulation, and accommodation free from pests) has clearly not been prioritized.
What makes this especially painful is that I had already postponed this residency once after breaking my ankle, because they refused to refund me at that time and would only allow me to reschedule within a year. I reorganized my entire life to attend this residency. I turned down paid freelance work, rented out my apartment, bought art supplies in Lisbon, rented a car to get there, and spent a year looking forward to this opportunity. Instead, I found conditions that made staying impossible.
There is enormous potential in this place, but until significant investment is made in the facilities (or until they stop accepting artists during the summer) I cannot recommend this residency to anyone.
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