Alonso Miguel marked 20th anniversary of UNESCO classification of Pico Island Vineyard Culture Landscape - Communication

Secretaria Regional do Ambiente e Ação Climática

The Regional Secretary for the Environment and Climate Action, Alonso Miguel presided over the opening ceremony of the 20th anniversary celebrations of the classification of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture Landscape as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO on Tuesday. He highlighted "the priceless treasure, recognised worldwide for its extraordinary scenic beauty and cultural, economic and historical importance, which portrays the volcanic nature of the island and the historical and cultural evolution of five centuries of human occupation of an isolated territory full of physical and natural constraints."

"This is a journey of hard work, resilience, hardship and sacrifice, in which the inhabitants of this island have perfected cultivation techniques over the centuries," he stressed. 

The Pico Island Vineyard Culture Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, covers a total area of 987 hectares, surrounded by a buffer zone of 1,924 hectares. It consists of a strip of land that partially covers the north and south coasts and the west coast of the island, rooted in extensive lava fields with an outstanding natural and landscape richness and beauty.

According to Alonso Miguel, "the classification of Pico Island Vineyard Culture Landscape as a protected area in 1996, and later, due to the landscape, historical and cultural value of the natural and built heritage of this Landscape, as well as its inclusion as a Cultural Landscape on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2004, were decisive processes for the recovery and preservation of this unique natural and cultural heritage and for the excellence of the wines produced in this area."

Alonso Miguel added that "the support systems created by the Regional Government over the last 20 years have also played a key role in stimulating the recovery and maintenance of vineyards." In thsi regard, he recalled that " the incentives granted by the Agriculture department in 2023 on Pico Island amounted to 1.9 million Euros while the support granted by the Environment department for the maintenance of traditional vineyard landscapes reached 1.8 million Euros."

He stressed that "416 beneficiaries from Pico Island received financial incentives to maintain traditional vineyard landscapes in 2024, with an investment of more than 1.8 million Euros, the largest ever, with a view to maintaining approximately 869 hectares of vineyards. This represents a very significant evolution for a recovered area that is seven times larger than the area in production in 2004."

"Overall, since the creation of this programme, managed by the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action, nearly 14.5 million Euros have been allocated to support beneficiaries on the island of Pico," he explained.

"These are investments that demonstrate the commitment of the Regional Government to maintaining this unique landscape, which is the hallmark of our Region. On June 28, it was awarded the "Wine Destination 2024" special prize by Paixão pelo Vinho magazine, after winning the National Landscape Prize in 2018, out of 22 entries, which was recognised at the European Landscape Convention 2018/2019," he added.

Alonso Miguel stressed that, "fortunately, it has been possible to reverse the abandonment trend, as evidenced by the growing number of young people beginning their activity as producers, with consistent projects and larger areas, which leads to diversity and an increase in the quality of Pico's wines."

"The Pico Island vineyard culture landscape is not only a testimonial to human resilience and ingenuity. It is also a symbol of cultural identity that we are all proud of and an extraordinary asset for the social and economic development of Pico Island and the Azores," he said.

The programme for the event also included a round table discussion with a panel of speakers made up of Manuel Tomás, Maria Jesus Pimentel and Pedro Cunha Silva, moderated by Milton Dias. There were also various artistic events, including a live painting by Djervy Santos, a "viola da terra" (traditional Azorean guitar) performance by Mónica Goulart and a performance by the Casa do Povo da Madalena Folk Dance Group.