Reaching one hundred years is always a reason for celebration and, in São Brás de Alportel, which began celebrating the Centenary of Elevation to a Municipality on Sunday, the festivities are made by the entire population. On June 1st, which was full of initiatives, some playful, others solemn, the founder of the council was not even missing: João Pink Beatriz too participated.
The city's XNUMXth anniversary celebrations will last a year and have a program that already has dozens of initiatives. The idea is to celebrate the county's past and history, while leaving something that is not "ephemeral".
«During this year, we are going to have lectures, get-togethers on different topics, and publish different editions. We are also carrying out more in-depth studies on the history of the municipality itself. We will have cultural and sporting activities, but, above all, we wanted to leave a mark on the renovation of some heritage», summarized Vítor Guerreiro, in conversation with Sul Informação and Rádio Universitária do Algarve, on the radio program «Impressões».
“We have been thinking of a program of activities that essentially involves leaving seeds for the future, studying a little more of our history and valuing our heritage, people and society,” he added.
A message reinforced by the appearance by João Rosa Beatriz, the great worker in the elevation of São Brás to a municipality, in 1914, who “returned from the past” to greet the population, from the window of the Paços do Concelho, on the past day 1. A moment of greater theatricality, which he accompanied the initial moment of the commemorations, the Flag of the Flag, followed by the National Anthem.
As Vítor Guerreiro and the coordinator of the Committee for the Commemorations of the Centenary Emanuel Sancho announced at the launch of this initiative, about two weeks ago, another point of honor of these celebrations is the involvement of the population.
And this is being achieved, taking into account the procession «with almost a thousand participants, from the many institutions and local communities, which went up to Praça da República, in a profusion of color and feeling», as described by the City Council of São Brás .
Chamber “offered” a renovated square on the centenary day
On the part of the Chamber of São Brás de Alportel, there was concern about to offer to the population something new, in this case, a renewed Praça da República.
«Without any architectural barriers, the new Praça da República is yet another project integrated in the “São Brás de Alportel Accessible to all” Plan. A fair tribute to the Republic, on the centenary of the municipality whose history is closely linked to the history of the implementation of the new regime in 1910; that to maintain its spirit of healthy rebellion of Youth, with the involvement of the youngest, from the conception of the project to its entire implementation», according to the São Brasense municipality.
The work is municipal, but it can be said that it has the stamp of the citizens of São Brás, as it is already a product of the Participatory Budget that this council has been promoting for several years, a process in which it was one of the pioneer municipalities in Portugal.
On the same day, the exhibition “São Braz d'Alportel 1914” was launched at the Municipal Gallery. This initiative consists of an informal exhibition, which brings together documentation from the end of the XNUMXth century and beginning of the XNUMXth century of great relevance to the county, offering a historical path over such a significant period for São Brás de Alportel.
Between the party for the little ones, which on that day, the Children's day, they had various entertainments at their disposal during the afternoon, and the party for the whole population, in an evening concert with Miguel Gameiro and the North Poles, there was time for a visit to the Mausoleum of João Rosa Beatriz, founder of the county, at the Municipal Cemetery.
On the centenary day, local associations and entities were also honored and municipal insignia were given to a group of personalities.
The Municipal Insignia of Valor e Altruísmo distinguished Walter Sulzer, Maria Manuela Andrade and Sousa Fernandes and Maria de Sousa Belchior, three paths of life that constitute an example in the community.
César Correia, Abílio Barros and Júlio Negrão were awarded Municipal Insignias of Merit, in recognition of their remarkable achievements.
Finally, the Municipal Insignia of Honor, symbolically represented by the Key to the Municipality, were handed over to João Pires da Cruz, António Eusébio, António José Pires Bica and José de Sousa Pires (the latter two posthumously), former mayors of the City Council democratically elected, as well as Prior José da Cunha Duarte.
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