José António Falcão, art historian and general director of Festival Terras sem Sombra, is the first Portuguese to be part of the International Scientific Committee for Places of Religion and Ritual (PRERICO) of ICOMOS, the International Council of Monuments and Sites.
This ICOMOS body is concerned with the sacred places of the main religions of the world and the immaterial values associated with them.
It is chaired by Hae Un Rii, from South Korea, and includes some of the most outstanding experts, in global terms, in the field of Humanity's religious heritage.
The art historian José António Falcão, who was named as one of the European experts on that committee, is a museum curator and university professor. As a museologist, he worked at the Évora Museum, at the Casa dos Patudos (Alpiarça) and at the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, among other institutions. He also presided over Opart, the largest public company in the cultural sector, and also has extensive experience in the service of patrimonial associations.
Until its extinction in 2017, by the current bishop of Beja, he directed the Department of Historical and Artistic Heritage of the Diocese of Beja, whose action was characterized by restoring and opening historic churches to society, in partnership with municipalities, the State and companies, in addition to promoting an ecumenical vision of sacred art. It also contributed to the rediscovery of the old synagogues and mosques in Alentejo.
Jose Antonio Falcão serves as Vice President of Europae Thesauri and general director of the Festival Terras sem Sombra. An active contributor to the UNESCO Center for Architecture and Art, he has published extensively on the sacred artistic legacy.
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