An area about two meters wide with the wall and the cliff below it fell this Thursday, on the promontory of Nossa Senhora da Rocha, on the coast of Lagoa. The collapse did not cause casualties or material damage.
Sebastião Teixeira, responsible for the Portuguese Environment Agency/ARH Algarve, an organization that has jurisdiction over the Algarve cliffs, told the Sul Informação that «this morning a team of our technicians was in the place to see and evaluate» what happened. "For now, I still cannot say what concrete measures will be taken, since the situation is being evaluated," added Sebastião Teixeira.
O Sul Informação He also knows that, even today, the commander of the Fire Department of Lagoa and technicians from the Lagoa City Council linked to the environment and civil protection will also assess the collapse to determine the "immediate measures to be taken".
It is foreseen that, for the time being, the interdiction zone along the west cliff of the promontory, in the area where the collapse took place, will have to be extended.
The fragility of the cliffs on the Senhora da Rocha promontory has been known for at least two years, with an area close to the western wall that surrounds that area, much visited by tourists, having been closed and fenced for its scenic beauty.
Also due to this weakness, the music festival «Sons do Atlântico», which normally took place on that promontory, was this year transferred to Ferragudo and Parchal. However, in addition to placing a removable fence and a danger sign, the APA/ARH has never taken any other measures, namely to clean up the cliff, as it has done in other coastal areas in the Algarve.
“This was a situation that was already anticipated. The São Pedro was responsible for giving a helping hand», commented Sebastião Teixeira.
On the promontory of Nossa Senhora da Rocha, which enters through the sea and separates the beaches of Senhora da Rocha, to the east, and Nova, to the west, there are traces of an old fortress, but what stands out most is the chapel, of probable Visigothic origin, with its characteristic octave dome.
The Fort and Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Rocha are classified as Buildings of Public Interest by Decree published on October 25, 1963, at a time when they underwent partial consolidation and restoration work, under the responsibility of the Directorate-General for National Buildings and Monuments (DGEMN).
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