Until August 30, the city of Tavira promotes an “active vacation” program that allows the public to open 14 churches, from Monday to Friday, from 10:15 am to 12:30 pm and from 14:30 pm to 17:45 pm.
«The 'Tavira-Férias Ativas', designed to make the most of young people's free time during school breaks, provides for the opening of churches as a way of valuing the religious heritage of the county», adds the Algarve municipality.
The tour through the city's churches was at the center of the most recent edition of the '70×7' program, on RTP2, in an initiative that brings together the efforts of the Parish Church Factory of Santa Maria do Castelo, Parish Church Factory of Santiago, Third Order of Our Lady of Monte do Carmo, Secular Franciscan Order of Tavira (OFS) and Santa Casa da Misericórdia of Tavira.
Alexandra Rufino, Patrimony Technician at Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Tavira, speaks of “many daily visitors” at the Misericórdia Church, which presents an exhibition dedicated to Marian devotion.
Ana Paula Martins, vice-president of the Tavira City Council, underlines the commitment to the historic center and says that the opening of churches to be visited by tourists has been «always a bet».
In 2011, the program 'Férias Ativas', developed by the Chamber, also involved the city's parishes so that the churches could open their doors.
Young people over 16 are thus «the first face of the city», observes Ana Paula Martins.
In each church, a young person welcomes those who arrive and provides the necessary explanations, helping to publicize the local heritage.
Tomás Bravo, vigilant in the churches of Tavira, speaks of an “increasing” membership, with a growing number of visitors.
The cultural program that opens the churches to visitors generated an initiative by the parishes of Tavira, which created a brand and a network of small shops next to the temples.
'Artegilão' is the name and brand of a project that is not intended to be commercial but merely a way of offering tourists cultural objects related to the places they visit, while generating funds to recover the heritage.
Father Miguel Neto, parish priest of Santa Maria and São Tiago, points out that "it is important that tourists know the purpose of their purchase", with the notion that "they are contributing to the restoration of the churches".
The priest hopes that it will be possible to motivate people to visit Tavira "on purpose to see the churches."
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