Bridging AI and History: Exploring Braga’s 2000-Year Legacy with Advanced Generative AI Techniques

 João Pinto's Gen AI Intensive Course Capstone Project (2025Q1)

Bridging AI and History: Exploring Braga’s 2000-Year Legacy with Advanced Generative AI Techniques

About Me

Hi, I’m João Pinto, a lifelong learner passionate about integrating cutting-edge technologies to solve real-world challenges. Through Google’s 5-Day Gen AI Intensive Course, I’ve deepened my expertise in generative AI—and this capstone project showcases my hands-on application of these skills.

Project Theme: Braga, Portugal—A Living Chronicle

Braga, one of Portugal’s oldest cities, is a treasure trove of history, culture, and architectural marvels. With 2000 years of layered heritage, it serves as the perfect canvas to demonstrate how generative AI can transform how we interact with historical narratives.

Explore the Resources

(Deep dive generated using NotebookLM and curated sources)


Technical Showcase

In this Kaggle Notebook, I implement the following advanced Gen AI workflows:

  • Embeddings & Vector Search: Structuring Braga’s historical data for semantic retrieval.
  • Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG): Delivering context-aware insights about the city.
  • Function Calling & Grounding: Ensuring accuracy and reliability in AI-generated outputs.

Goal: Highlight how AI can augment our understanding of cultural heritage while demonstrating scalable technical proficiency.

Braga, a Portuguese city with 2000 years of history

NOTE: Almost all the content in this document was created using generative AI resources available from Google. The overall project results from my curation of all the content produced using 3 documents provided with this project(1,2,3), identified and referenced at the bottom of this page.

Braga is a city with a rich history, tracing its origins back to the Roman period as Bracara Augusta(1). The "Braga's Roman Guidebook" highlights its foundation under Emperor Augustus, marking it as an important ancient civitas(1,2). Evidence of this Roman past is still visible in the city today through archaeological remains and identified urban planning elements(1).

Later, Braga also became significant for its Baroque heritage, as indicated by the "A baroque itinerary of Braga"(3). This itinerary suggests that the city experienced a period of substantial architectural development during the Baroque era, leaving a lasting impact on its urban landscape(3). Therefore, Braga can be introduced as a city that showcases a fascinating blend of its ancient Roman roots and its prominent Baroque architectural legacy, both of which contribute to its historical and cultural identity(1,2,3).

Braga is a city with a rich and layered history, evident in the various sites of interest highlighted in the provided sources(1,2,3). These sources offer glimpses into different periods of the city's development, from its Roman origins to its prominent Baroque architecture(1,2,3).

Here is a list of places mentioned in the sources, along with their descriptions:

  • Forum: This location is identified as the central public space in Roman cities, where the decisive moments of civilian and religious life occurred(2,3). The South crossroads beneath the current maximums reveals the cardo maximus and the decumanus maximus, the main axes of the Roman grid(2).
  • Roman Thermae (Public Baths of the Civitas): These baths represent a significant aspect of Roman urban life and public leisure(2,3). The remains of the public building (a charity?) might be part of this complex(2). The thermal building occupied by the Pópulo Street, the Gardens of the Casa dos Biscainhos, and a large part of the current Largo do Souto must have been of great proportions, where a network of galleries and pools developed(3).
  • D. Diogo de Sousa Archaeological Museum: This museum houses findings from the Roman period, suggesting the presence of Roman artefacts and history within the city(2,3). The museum's collection includes pieces that shed light on the Roman past of Braga(3).
  • Memorial to Braga Augusta: This memorial marks the place of the foundation of the civitas (city), elevated under Emperor Augustus(2).
  • Wall of the Public Outlier of Insulated (Insulae) Conservation (Carved Stones): This site features the outline of the public outlier of insulae (blocks of houses) made with carved stones(2).
  • Brick (at base) of the Former S. School (Aula da Cadeia): This indicates the presence of Roman construction techniques in older structures within the city(2).
  • St. Paul's Street (Rua de São Paulo): This street likely existed during the Roman period(2).
  • Santiago Church (Igreja de Santiago): While the current church may not be entirely Roman, its location or history might have Roman roots(2).
  • Braga Cathedral (Sé Primacial): This significant religious building, while having undergone many transformations over the centuries, including prominent Baroque additions(1), stands as a testament to the city's enduring importance. It is listed in the Baroque itinerary(1).
  • Chapel of the Senhor of the Stone (Capela do Senhor da Pedra): This chapel is mentioned within the Roman guidebook(2).
  • Carmo Street (Rua do Carmo): This street's origins might date back to earlier periods(2).
  • Fonte do Ídolo (Idol Fountain): This fountain, with its inscription, is a notable Roman religious site dedicated to a local deity, possibly Tongoenabiago(2,3). The epigraphic and sculptural set is marked by the dedication to the Lusitanian-Roman divinity.
  • Fórum Roman Wall: This indicates the presence of the Roman city walls(2). The northwest end of the forum and the southwest end of the forum have been identified(2).
  • Arco da Porta Nova: This arch is featured in both the Baroque itinerary(1) and mentioned within the Roman context(2), suggesting it has been a significant city landmark through different periods.
  • Termas Romanas do Alto da Cividade: These higher city Roman baths are another indicator of the Roman presence and urban infrastructure(3).
  • Domus of the Escrivaninho (House of the Scribe): Archaeological excavations have revealed the presence of a Roman domus (house) in this area(3).
  • Theatro Romano (Roman Theatre of the Civitas): This site highlights the Roman city's provision for entertainment and cultural life(2). The significant scale of the remains suggests a substantial structure(3).
  • Impluvium: The basement of a building in Rua dos Capelistas reveals the presence of an impluvium, a characteristic feature of Roman houses for collecting rainwater(3).
  • Public Place / Public Building (Largo do Paço): This central public space likely has historical significance that may predate the Baroque period, even if its current form is influenced by later architectural styles(1,2). The thermal building likely extended towards this area(3).
  • Caves of the Council (Caves da Câmara Municipal): These caves may have Roman origins or connections(2).
  • Casa dos Crivos: This house is listed in the Baroque itinerary(1).
  • Palácio do Raio: This palace is a prominent example of Baroque architecture and is included in the Baroque itinerary(1).
  • Sé Primacial: As mentioned before, while having older foundations, it features significant Baroque elements(1).
  • Igreja de S. Vicente: This church is part of the Baroque itinerary(1).
  • Arco da Porta Nova: Also part of the Baroque itinerary(1).

Contextualization of the City using the Chronology of the Places:

The archaeological evidence and historical sites within Braga reveal a clear chronological development of the city(1,2,3). The earliest identifiable period is the Roman era, marked by the establishment of Bracara Augusta(2). Key sites from this period include the Forum, the central public space(2,3), the extensive Roman Thermae indicating sophisticated urban planning and leisure activities(2,3), the Roman Theatre for entertainment(2), and domestic structures like the Domus of the Escrivaninho with its impluvium(3). The Fonte do Ídolo provides evidence of Roman religious practices and local deities(2,3), while remnants of the Fórum Roman Wall and the identification of the cardo maximus and decumanus maximus showcase the structured layout of the Roman city(2). The Memorial to Braga Augusta explicitly commemorates the city's Roman foundation(2).

While the sources provide less detailed information about the periods between the Roman era and the Baroque period, the continued presence and evolution of sites like the Braga Cathedral (Sé Primacial) suggest ongoing urban and religious significance(1,2). The mention of a Chapel of the Senhor of the Stone and other churches in the Roman guidebook hints at the emergence and development of Christian religious structures, although their precise chronology relative to the Roman period isn't fully detailed(2).

The Baroque period left a significant architectural mark on Braga, as highlighted by the "Baroque Itinerary"(1). This era saw the construction or significant remodelling of numerous churches, such as the Igreja de S. Vicente and the Sé Primacial (with its Baroque additions), as well as grand civic structures like the Palácio do Raio and possibly the Casa dos Crivos(1). The Arco da Porta Nova, which existed in some form during Roman times, was also a notable feature in the Baroque cityscape(1,2). The Largo do Paço, as a central public space, likely continued its importance, surrounded by buildings reflecting the prevailing architectural styles of the time, including Baroque influences(1,2).

In conclusion, the historical sites of Braga, as documented in these sources, illustrate a city that has evolved over centuries. Beginning as the Roman Bracara Augusta, with its characteristic urban layout, public spaces, and entertainment facilities, the city continued to develop through subsequent periods, culminating in the prominent Baroque architectural heritage that is still evident today(1,2,3). The presence of sites like the Arco da Porta Nova and the Sé Primacial, which have likely undergone transformations across different eras, underscores the continuous and evolving nature of Braga's urban landscape(1,2).

List of source documentation used to produce this text and project:

[1]. A Baroque itinerary of Braga
[2]. Map of Braga: Bracara Augusta roadmap
[3]. Family Leisure Activities

All these documents can be found on the Braga City Council website.

This project used curated insights from Gen AI tools—a fun and challenging experience!

Thanks for checking out my work!

João Pinto

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

O que Eu gostaria que me tivessem ensinado antes de Metodologias de Investigação

Image
O que Eu gostaria que me tivessem ensinado antes de Metodologias de Investigação: A IA como aliada essencial Se pudesse voltar atrás e dar um único conselho ao meu "eu" do primeiro semestre do mestrado, seria: integra a Inteligência Artificial no teu processo de investigação desde o primeiro dia. Esta é uma conclusão que retirei de uma forma inesperada, durante o semestre seguinte, na unidade curricular de Tópicos Avançados em Gestão Estratégica . A unidade de Metodologias de Investigação preparou-nos de forma exaustiva para o rigor do processo académico – como estruturar, como citar, como justificar. No entanto, não nos preparou para a gestão de tempo exigida pela realidade esmagadora da pesquisa no mestrado. O que descobri foi que a IA não é um atalho antiético, mas sim uma ferramenta de otimização de tempo crítica que redefine a fase mais morosa de qualquer trabalho académico: a Revisão Bibliográfica . O desafio da prova de fogo O ponto de viragem aconteceu quando ...
Read more