The Institute of Medieval Studies (IEM | NOVA FCSH) organises the Early Medieval Cities Meetings (EMCITY), in partnership with several institutions, within the objective of establishing a meeting point for specialists interested in the study of early medieval cities on the Iberian Peninsula. Thus, the EMCITY meetings strive to foster interdisciplinary dialogues and the timely and productive dissemination of ongoing research work, carried out at nationally and internationally. Each edition of EMCITY will take place in selected small/medium sized cities where Early Middle Ages archaeology projects are underway, seeking the decentralisation of scientific meetings and engagement with local communities, their history and heritage.

This first meeting has adopted the following theme: New approaches to Early Medieval Cities in the Iberian Peninsula West and is therefore dedicated to new approaches to urban contexts in this respective period, carried out by multidisciplinary teams from fields such as archaeology, history, anthropology, palaeobotany, bioarchaeology, geoarchaeology, etcetera. We are inaugurating these meetings in 2022 at the Raiano Cultural Centre in Idanha-a-Nova, which is hosting the lectures and debates, and visiting the historical village of Idanha-a-Velha in the company of the IGAEDIS research project team. This working plan is only possible thanks to the collaboration of the Idanha-a-Nova Municipal Council and the Centre for 20th Century Interdisciplinary Studies, the University of Coimbra (CEIS20).