This Friday, March 15, Castro Marim launched its first philatelic collection, commemorating the institution of the 700 years of the Order of Christ in this town.
This is, according to the Chamber of Castro Marim, «a remarkable moment, as these stamps with the mark of Castro Marim history will circulate around the world, in about a million copies of stamps, starting with the correspondence of the Municipality, which already yesterday came out with the new philatelic collection. A copy of the collection will be on display at the Communications Museum of Portugal».
The ceremony took place in the afternoon at the Igreja do Castelo and was conducted by Pedro Rodrigues, representing Correios de Portugal, and Filomena Sintra, representing the Municipality of Castro Marim.
The session had a full house and was attended by the president of the Portuguese Federation of Philately António Borralho, Father Agostinho Pinto, responsible for the parish of Castro Marim, the director of the Castro Marim Schools Group José Nunes, professor Luís Arquilino, from Castromarinense historian António Salvador and the representative of the Alentejo-Algarve Philatelic Association Francisco Galveias, the same personalities who stamped and signed the five envelopes that marked the launch of this new collection.
And, if history was made in the afternoon, in the morning they talked about the history of this Order and its installation in Castro Marim, on March 14, 1319.
Also present were Luís Filipe Oliveira (Faculty of Human and Social Sciences of the University of Algarve), under the motto “From Land to Sea: The Military Orders and Castro Marim” and, in replacement of Professor Hugo Cavaco, who was unable to attend for reasons of force majeure, the technician of Cultural Heritage of the Municipality of Castro Marim Pedro Pires who spoke about “The Commendation of the Order of Christ in Castro Marim at the beginning of the XNUMXth century”.
The day was also marked by musical performances by Eduardo Ramos (singer, composer, lute player and multi-instrumentalist), with “Cantigas de D. Dinis” (XNUMXth-XNUMXth century), in an unprecedented repertoire.
The Order of Christ was installed on March 14, 1319, in Castro Marim, by order of King D. Dinis, after the extinction, by Pope Clement V, of the Order of the Templars, one of the most famous Military Orders of Cavalry, founded in 1118, in the aftermath of the 1st Crusade. With a decisive role in the period of the Reconquest, in the military activity against the Moors and in the settlement of the territory, the Order of the Templars was also the holder of a vast patrimony that, by right, belonged to the Holy See, a fact that threatened the king's sovereignty.
Under the pretext of defending the Algarve coast from attacks by Maghreb pirates and pirates, D. Dinis manages to decree the creation of the new religious-military Order. The 1st seat of the Order of Christ was then the Castle of Castro Marim, with one of the most solid defensive systems in the entire Kingdom of the Algarve and located on the maritime border with Morocco and in the vicinity of the Islamic community of Granada.
In this context, a group of radio amateurs and associations committed to the dissemination and promotion of the history of the Portuguese Templars, will carry out, from the Castle of Castro Marim, from 22 to 24 March, a radio broadcast that celebrates the 900 Years of the Templars in Portugal and in Europe.
The Diploma of the Portuguese Templar Castles will be awarded to this Castle, simultaneous delivery in the castles of Soure, Castelo Branco, Tomar and Santarém, all of them headquarters of this Military Order, by the Association of Radio Amateurs of Ribatejo.
In Castro Marim, in 2016, 13 members were invested, thus creating the Commandery of Santiago of the Order of the Templars.
On the 23rd of March, at 15 pm, the Castle hosts the gathering “From the Templars to the Order of Christ in the Algarve”, with Maria Luís Francisco, followed by a Chapter session of the Commendation of Laccobriga of the Order of the Temple – OSMTHU Branch.
This is an initiative of the Municipality of Castro Marim, in collaboration with CTT – Correios de Portugal.
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