Hundreds of people came this morning, Thursday, in Cacela Velha, to pay tribute to António Rosa Mendes, whose funeral took place in the small village of Vila Real de Santo António, perched on the Ria Formosa.
The local cemetery was small for everyone who attended the funeral of the Algarve teacher, historian and researcher.
Relatives, friends, the population of the parish where he was born and where he was buried, academics and Algarve personalities from all walks of life created a human frame that testified to the respect that António Rosa Mendes gained in his 59 years of life.
«Rosa Mendes leaves a void, from the outset personal, for the man she was and for the reference she was in our culture. It was a credible voice, active and above all, heard», illustrated the Regional Director of Culture Dália Paulo, on the sidelines of the funeral ceremony.
«António Rosa Mendes can be defined as someone completely human and who liked Man. Sometimes, we have many intellectuals, but this humanist facet is lacking», he considered.
Despite being a moment of pain and regret, before the final funeral ceremony, there was a heartfelt round of applause to celebrate the legacy left by the deceased. An appropriate gesture, considering that António Rosa Mendes dedicated much of his life to Culture and its promotion.
Another area in which he distinguished himself was academic. “I was an Academician in the truest sense of the word. A man who liked to teach, who investigated, who documented in great depth everything he did. He was Director of the Library, a role he played with great pleasure», recalled the Rector of the University of Algarve.
These were two facets, among many, of a man who left his mark on those most closely with him. “He was much more than a man of culture or an academic. We learned a lot from him in formal and informal moments. That's the greatness of his character, of his humility, which I think was his main facet: being always ready to listen to us and to teach us», she continued, moved by Dália Paulo.
João Guerreiro also highlighted this side of António Rosa Mendes, who considered “an exemplary citizen, with civic intervention, creating synergies between the living forces of the region. It's a big loss for us. It is a very sad moment for all of us and for the University», he considered
«I had a huge passion for the Algarve and had a dream for this region. But he didn't just dream, he tried to change what was wrong. It was with this passion that he was always able to fight what he considered evil. It was a very important and very active voice (…) and Rosa Mendes always called our attention to look at this territory [of the Algarve] for its beauty. Above all, leaving the territory for other things and not the other way around», considered, for her part, Dália Paulo.
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