The work took longer than expected, but since the morning of this Friday, March 24th, Faro already has Mata do Liceu back, reclassified and ready for the next «20, 30 years».
The inauguration took place this morning and attracted a lot of people to the place, eager to see the Mata de clean face, after the works that lasted about a year and a half.
The requalification included the felling of hundreds of trees, mostly pine trees that were dead, but which were replaced by others, such as carob trees, pines, strawberry trees and plane trees. This slaughter was criticized, even during the works, by the glocal movement Faro.
In total, around 280 trees were planted, according to Rogério Bacalhau, president of the Chamber of Faro.
In the new Mata, the creation of a main circuit of 1 kilometer, which goes around the entire Lyceum, as well as the construction of an area for street workout, a basketball court and a geriatric park.
Added to this is a playground and an amphitheater which, moments after opening, was already being used for a group class.
There is also a large lawn, where a kiosk will also be installed.
Speaking to journalists, the mayor of Faro considered that, after the profound requalification, the people of Faro will have Mata «for another 20, 30 years».
“That is my great satisfaction. I think the space was very pleasant, with spaces for leisure, enjoyment and conviviality », she added. One of the concerns was also to create dozens of water retention basins.
In the opinion of Rogério Bacalhau, this was a «very sensitive» work because its main objective was «not to hurt the living beings that were here, but to revitalize them».
«We gave life conditions to the vegetation cover. What I would like to ask people is that they also take care of the space: it is necessary to treat what is ours well», appealed the mayor.
The landscape architect José Brito, responsible for this intervention, explained that the work included a «remarkable soil mobilization work».
«We are in a desolate place and the soils here are bad. What we did was create a soil with nutritive elements and that allows us to look at this forest with optimism”, he said.
All the trees that remain on the site have been pruned, “conserving their natural crown”. The infrastructures created, he also guaranteed, do not "hurt the roots" of the trees.
For Rogério Bacalhau, expectations for the future of Mata do Liceu, whose maintenance will be carried out in partnership with the União de Freguesias de Faro, are the best.
«I am convinced that, as happened with Alameda, this space will also be immediately appropriated by the population and that is our objective», he concluded.
The work cost around 1,5 million euros.
Photos: Pedro Lemos | Sul Informação
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