Azorean Museums join celebrations of International Day of Monuments and Sites - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Cultura, da Ciência e Transição Digital

The Regional Secretariat for Culture, Science and Digital Transformation, through the Regional Directorate for Culture, joins the celebrations of International Day of Monuments and Sites, which takes place on Monday, April 18. This year will be dedicated to the theme "Heritage and Climate," through the promotion of various activities.

It is an initiative promoted by the Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage (DGPC), in collaboration with ICOMOS Portugal, with the aim of recognising the potential of cultural heritage in building an inclusive, transforming and fair climate action. This will be achieved by safeguarding cultural heritage against adverse climate impacts, such as the effects of global warming, the alteration of surrounding ecosystems, situations of extreme drought or exposure to rising waters. The theme also aims to analyse the past as well as the material and immaterial heritage, as a heritage and identity reference, with a projection of a more supportive and inclusive future for communities and populations.

The Carlos Machado Museum promotes, on April 18, at the Santa Bárbara Centre in Ponta Delgada a round table moderated by Diamantino Henriques, from the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), to be held at 4:30 p.m. Moreover, it will promote the initiative "Are there intruders in the Museum?" to take place from April 18 to 22 at all centres. This initiative will invite visitors to discover the relation between pieces and the place where they are located, promoting reflection and knowledge about them and their museum spaces.

The Santa Maria Museum, through its Educational Service, will mark the occasion by holding on April 19 a school-oriented workshop for the reproduction of small clay objects. The aim is to disseminate the importance of pottery and its raw material found on the island of Santa Maria as well as the old masters who made pottery on the island.

The Angra do Heroísmo Museum, in collaboration with the Terceira Film Club and as part of the initiative held under the CineEco 2022 exhibition, will screen the three award-winning animated short films on April 18 at 10 a.m. They address environmental issues and foster ecological awareness: "Acorns" by Bradley Furnish; "Migrants" by Hugo Caby, Antoine Dupriez, Aubin Kubiak, Lucas Lermytte and Zoé Devise; and "#FishingthePlastic" by Marina Lobo.

The Graciosa Museum will organise the "Whaling Route" on April 23 between 9:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. This activity intends to highlight the importance of this activity in the island's economic, cultural and social structures. It will begin at the Museum's headquarters with the screening of a film about whale watching in the Azores, followed by a visit to the Santa Cruz Whaling Boathouse, a space belonging to this Museum. The route will also cover the Monte d`Ajuda lookout and will end in the area of Barra boathouses and boilers.

The Pico Museum will present the film "O Homem do Vento Norte," a feature film by Paulo Henrique Silva, the Whaling Museum auditorium in Lajes on April 18 at 9 p.m. It portrays the life of two men on Fajã da Caldeira de Santo Cristo, São Jorge Island, and their interactions in this unique ecosystem over the course of five years.

The Horta Museum, in collaboration with the Horta City Council, will promote, between April 18 and 22, visits to the Clock Tower, a building initially built in the 18th century, adjacent to the first Parish Church of Horta. During these visits, the history of the monument and its surrounding area - Largo D. Luís I, Florêncio Terra Graden and Conceição Viewpoint - will be made known.

The Francisco de Lacerda Museum, through the Santa Bárbara Church Museum Centre, will promote, on April 18, a virtual and on-site exhibition and historical explanation about the painting of São Francisco de Borja, patron saint of earthquakes, which is on display in this space, located in the parish of Manadas, Velas. This initiative aims to raise awareness among citizens about the historical past of natural events that have occurred on the island of São Jorge as well as the role of religious heritage in the preservation of these events in the collective memory of the island.

The Flores Museum will open, on April 18, the "Flores, an island of water" exhibition. It will address, from its collections, the issue of water management, with special emphasis on the transport process, storage and use. The exhibition will also focus on water as a source of energy production and its hydroelectric potential.

The Ecomuseu do Corvo will promote, on April 18, the initiative "Guided tour to Atafona," a space that represents the cereal production on the island of Corvo, which has ensured the survival of the Corvo community for centuries. In addition, there will be an exhibition of agricultural tools related to cereal production as well as the online kahoot activity entitled "Discovering Corvo's Heritage," which, by asking questions, aims to raise public awareness about heritage diversity and preservation. All activities will begin at 9:30 a.m.

The Regional Directorate for Culture informs that these and other events may be consulted in the Cultural Agenda of the Azores Culture Portal at the following address: www.culturacores.azores.gov.pt