Imperial busts of Agrippina Minor, Hadrian and Galieno, discovered in 1966 during archaeological excavations in the villa Roman city of Milreu (Estoi), were recognized as «National Treasure» at the meeting this Thursday, December 9, of the Council of Ministers.
The three busts, found next to the large peristyle of the Roman house from that archaeological site in the municipality of Faro, were classified as a «group of national interest, with the designation of “national treasure”», according to the communiqué of the Council of Ministers.
Two of these busts – those of Agrippina Minor and Adriano – are in the Museum of Faro, where they can be appreciated, while the third, by Galieno, is part of the collection of the Museum of Lagos. After decades on display, right at the entrance to the space, this bust is now out of public view until the opening of the new archeology center of that museum structure.
Marco Lopes, director of the Municipal Museum of Faro, in statements to the Sul Informação, expressed his joy at the classification of the three busts, which he considered to be «absolutely extraordinary examples», «of the best Roman statuary in Portugal».
That person in charge added that, in the beginning, the Museum of Faro he only submitted the candidacy of the two imperial busts that are part of his estate, and it was the technical services of the Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage that advised that the bust of the Museum of Lagos also be included.
The classification procedure for the three pieces began in November last year, with the period for the hearing of interested parties taking place between July and August.
After the Ocean God and the busts, here come the movie posters – With this classification, the imperial busts are the second national treasure of the Museum of Faro, after classification with that status in 2018, of the Roman mosaic of the Ocean God.
But it will not stop here: the collection of 33 movie posters, from the golden age of French productions, collected by the farense artist Joaquim António Viegas, it is also in the process of being classified. «We have already formalized the application», revealed Marco Lopes to our newspaper.
The opinion of the Cinemateca Nacional, fundamental to guarantee the status of “national treasure” to this collection, was, according to the director of the Museu de Faro, «peremptory» regarding the enormous importance of these posters. "In some cases, the films no longer exist, only these posters to prove that they existed".
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