A veritable "explosion of activities" will attract visitors this weekend to seven monuments in the Algarve. There will be gastronomy, music, visual arts, guided tours, cinema and even a trip back in time.
The pretext of this intense weekend of culture in the Fortress of Sagres, in the Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe (Raposeira, Vila do Bispo), in the Roman Ruins of Milreu (Estoi, Faro), in the Misericórdia Church of Aljezur, in the Megalithic Monuments of Alcalar (Portimão) and in the castles of Loulé and Paderne (Albufeira) is the International Day of Monuments and Sites, which is celebrated on April 18 throughout the country and beyond borders.
In the case of the Algarve, the activities are also part of the program for the Disclosure and Valorization of Monuments in the Algarve (DiVaM), organized by the Regional Directorate of Culture and which involves 21 cultural associations from across the region. It could even be said that this weekend marks the strong start of DiVaM.
To talk about all this, the program «Impressões», promoted jointly by Rádio Universitária do Algarve (RUA FM) and by Sul Informação, had this week as a guest Alexandra Rodrigues Gonçalves, regional director of Culture.
«This will be the weekend, par excellence, of heritage. Why? Because there is a concentration of activities on these days, at the same times, in various monuments and with a great diversity of proposals, from gastronomy to guided tours, to music, activities for children, Portuguese guitar, visual arts», explained Alexandra Gonçalves.
It will be, as I said, an “explosion of activities that seek to bring as many people from the community as possible, but also visitors, to these places of memory in the Algarve”.
O DiVaM, which started in March and runs until December, promoting 58 events, is intended to «increasingly enhance that heritage that surrounds us. Without knowing it, without exploring it and without sharing it, it is impossible to value the heritage. Therefore, the program seeks to reinforce knowledge about our culture and our heritage, so that we can then share with a growing number of people this passion that monuments, heritage and the arts bring us», added the regional director of Culture.
In a weekend where the difficulty will be to choose among so many and so diverse proposals, Alexandra Gonçalves emphasizes that the objective is “to reach as many people as possible and create a permanent animation effect for the Algarve's monuments throughout these days”.
But the goal is not to stop here, because there are activities planned throughout the year, it is not even about organizing events just thinking about tourists. «There have to be other ways to get people, even those who live in the Algarve all year round, local communities, to revisit the monuments or look at that place in a different way, because the monument has many stories to tell beyond the date in which was built and the architectural style», he stresses.
This is the second year that the Regional Directorate of Culture invites people from the Algarve and visitors to lean back in this DiVaM, some adjustments were made, such as the creation of thematic cycles «that, on the one hand, have to do with the various artistic areas, on the other, with the segmentation of audiences». «Depending on the interests of the target audiences, we tried to frame the various activities and events», in order to «better communicate what is happening and facilitate the choice of people in relation to what they are going to watch», revealed Alexandra Gonçalves.
Alexandra Gonçalves: «There have to be other ways to take people, even those who live in the Algarve all year round, local communities, to revisit the monuments or to look at that place in a different way, because the monument has many stories to tell. the date it was built and the architectural style”
Taking stock of last year, the regional director notes that "not all activities had the same receptiveness", but clarifies that "some of them are not to be abandoned due to the fact that they had less presence than others." Because, he explains, the reason for their lesser success could be just because "they weren't suited to the places." «Nothing is eternal and we can always improve these visions of what should happen in the monuments of the Algarve».
If the objective is to create greater community involvement with the monument, one of the ways to achieve this is «partnering with Casas do Povo, schools, municipalities, seeking to draw closer to the surrounding community, attracting it».
“There are events that are very attractive at the outset. For example, when we talk about classical music, the foreign audience, resident or tourist, is present. But we have more difficulty in bringing the public from the local community», admits the person in charge.
«Creating audiences is extremely difficult, it takes years to do, but it is possible through these activities», confides Alexandra Gonçalves. Furthermore, he stresses, the monuments “must be places of fascination”. There can and must be a dimension of education, of learning, «but it has to be pleasant, to retain in memory what has been visited, so that it is not a drag for the child to go to that space».
“It is important that schools take students to visit the monuments, but it is also important that parents can be part of another heritage education project, which is the family visit. Why should children go to visit the monument with the school and not the family? Why doesn't the family see places of leisure in these spaces?».
A monument that families have already adopted as their place of visit and leisure is Alcalar. And it all by fault of Prehistory Days, a historical recreation very focused on children and families, but attractive to people of all ages, and that this Sunday, the 19th, will be back.
Alexandra Gonçalves: «Why should the children go to visit the monument with the school and not with their family? Why doesn't the family see these places of leisure in these spaces?”
Alexandra Gonçalves emphasizes that there is a «partnership for some years now with the Chamber and the Museum of Portimão», to promote, among other things, the Days of Prehistory in Alcalar, "which are a success for families and bring thousands and thousands of visitors to the monument every year."
But the lion's share of this special weekend's events will take place in the Fortress of Sagres, which presents four different proposals. Why this concentration? “Because it is the ex-libris of the region's heritage, because we have to focus on that monument that we want to be a European Heritage Label and also because it has the conditions to develop some versatility in the set of actions we are proposing. We also have a technical team permanently in Fortaleza, which facilitates the support of the Regional Directorate to the events», explained the person in charge.
But the regional director's suggestions also include visits to Paderne Castle, guided by technicians from the Albufeira Museum or the Regional Directorate itself, for the open door visits to the castle of Loulé, for the music at Misericórdia de Aljezur and for this year's "newness", the Musical Banquet in Milreu, “in which oral heritage is combined with music and an exhibition”.
«These are activities that have a lot of diversity among themselves, which will make people's choice easier», concluded Alexandra Gonçalves.
The interview can be heard again in full on Saturday on FM STREET in 102.7 or by clicking here.
GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
Fortress of Sagres – national monument candidate for the “European Heritage” brand:
>> “Open Door Auditorium – a trip to the cinema of Sagres” (cinema) | from 18 to 22 April Presentation of films from the 60s: “Henrique, o Navegador” and “Portugal commemorates the death of Infante D. Henrique”.
>> "Palate – Cooking in the landscape (performance) | April 18th | 16:00
Performative action on historic sites, in a talk show format in which live cooking, with the participation of archaeologist Rui Parreira and João Centeno – Rizoma Lab
The session will be preceded by a guided tour of the monument, starting at 15 pm.
By Rhizome Lab
>> Concert by Duo Lundú | April 19th | 17:00
Joana Godinho and José Farinha – singing and guitar
This recital travels through the universe of XNUMXth century salon music. XIX, with some of the most emblematic composers of the repertoire for singing and guitar and making known part of the collection of Portuguese classical music of the time
By the Academy of Music of Lagos
>> The Mysteries of Dr. Gaspar (theatre) | April 20th | 10:30 am
Dr. Gaspar, a master of aromatic, edible and medicinal herbs
In a pure gesture of selflessness and love for others, Dr. Gaspar carries in his cart the remedies, balms and elixirs of medicinal plants and aromatic herbs extracted from the deepest forests and in an act of pure magic, he will demonstrate the healing and mysterious power that the nature ends.
by the moonlight theater
Hermitage of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Raposeira, Vila do Bispo):
>> “2 or 3 x 7 – Visual Arts” – Opening of the exhibition cycle | April 18th | 16 pm
Opening of the exhibition cycle with works by Mariana Madeira
For the Tertúlia Socio-cultural Association of Aljezur
>> “Musical Revolutions in the Mediterranean” (concert) | April 18th | 16:30 pm
Various cultural expressions of the Mediterranean with Gonçalo Pescada (accordion)
The French musette, the Italian rhythms of tarantela, the traditions of the Balkans and Spanish flamenco, among others, will be well represented by the technical possibilities of the Accordion. And of course, without forgetting the Portuguese music of April!
By the Music XXI Cultural Association
Roman Ruins of Milreu (Estoi, Faro):
>>Aperitif and Musical Banquet Sayings | April 18th | 15:30 pm
Musical Banquet is a verbal, musical and gastronomic event, where heritages dialogue. Music will serve as an appetizer or digestive for social criticism. The proverbs come to spice up the action, contributing to the intergenerational dialogue and to the preservation of the oral tradition in its Mediterranean roots. Musical animation by Al-Fanfare and Albano Neto with Balkan rhythms, among others, and lots of joy and improvisation to the mix.
For the International Association of Paremiology and Music XXI Cultural Association
Historic Caves of Moncarapacho | April 19th | 9:30 am
>> Walk through Cerro da Cabeça, following the pedestrian trails through the woods and monumental limestone outcrops, to the places where the caves of the Abyss and Ladroeiras are found, where the most daring can make small incursions duly accompanied.
The tour will be enhanced with comments on the various interesting aspects of the caves and karst landscapes.
By the Association of Underground Studies and Environmental Defense and by the Center for Underground Studies of Lagos – Registration: [email protected]
Megalithic Monuments of Alcalar (Portimão):
>> Commented visits «Alcalar 4000 years ago» | April 18th | 14:00 pm to 16:30 pm
By the Municipal Museum of Portimão and the Municipality of Lagos
>> «A day in prehistory» (historical recreation) | April 19th | 10:00 am to 16:30 pm
By the Municipal Museum of Portimão and the Association of Friends of the Museum of Portimão
>> «Dismounting the soenga» (workshop with Sara Navarro) | April 21st | 10:00 am
By the Municipal Museum of Portimão and the Association of Friends of the Museum of Portimão
Misericórdia Church in Aljezur:
>> Concert «Music of Mediterranean Origin» | April 18th | 16:00
Classical guitar with Josué Nunes – commented concert
By the Music Academy of Tavira
Loulé Castle:
>> Visit to the Castle with free entry | April 18th | from 9:30 am to 18:00 pm
By the Culture Division of CM Loulé
Castle of Paderne:
>> Guided visits to the Castle | April 18th to 22nd | from 10:00 am to 17:00 pm
By the Albufeira Municipal Museum and Paderne Parish Council
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