Paulo Estêvão opens “Azores Square” and “Azorean Museum” in São Luís do Maranhão during official visit to Brazil - Communication

Secretaria Regional dos Assuntos Parlamentares e Comunidades

The Regional Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, Paulo Estêvão, will be making an official visit to Brazil (the states of Rio Grande do Sul and Maranhão) in the coming days, during the year marking the 50th anniversary of the Azores’ autonomy.

The highlight of the visit will take place on Monday, March 23, in the city of São Luís (Maranhão), where the Azorean government official and the Governor of the State of Maranhão will preside over the official opening of the "Azores Square" and the "Azorean Museum."

This ceremony marks a historic milestone in the preservation and promotion of the Azorean cultural heritage in the northeastern region of Brazil.

The Azorean delegation, which also includes the Regional Director for the Communities, José Andrade, and the researcher and university lecturer Susana Goulart Costa, will begin the official programme on Saturday,  March 21, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.

On Saturday afternoon, the Regional Secretary will visit the House of the Azoresa of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, in Gravataí, and will also attend the dinner marking the institution’s 23rd anniversary.

While still in Rio Grande do Sul, the delegation will take part in a formal ceremony, scheduled for 6 p.m. local time, at the Teatro da Santa Casa in Porto Alegre – the largest city in the world founded by Azoreans.

The event, part of the "Porto Alegre Week," will feature the launch of the book "Açores: Nove Ilhas, Nove Histórias," written by Susana Goulart Costa and published by the Regional Secretariat for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities in partnership with the local House of the Azores. 

On Sunday, the delegation will travel to the state of Maranhão, where it will have a busy schedule of institutional and cultural engagements on Monday.

Before the opening ceremonies scheduled for Monday afternoon, Paulo Estêvão will pay a courtesy visit to the former President of the Republic of Brazil, José Sarney.

On Monday morning, the programme includes an academic presentation of the book "Açores: Nove Ilhas, Nove Histórias" to students enrolled in the History Programme at the State University of Maranhão in São Luís, featuring speeches by the Regional Director for the Communities, the book's author and the Regional Secretary.