After years in which it has been left to abandon – despite council pleas to be able to recover it for use by the community – the government has made a decision about Meia Praia’s ancient São Roque fortress.
It is one of four new additions to the executive’s Revive programme: a scheme that offers subsidies to tourist projects willing to take over ancient buildings and ‘use them’ for a period of between 30-50 years (click here).
How the local council will have taken this news however is not mentioned in this morning’s tabloid story explaining that Revive now includes 33 historic monuments.
In 2015, Lagos’ councillor for culture Maria Fernanda Afonso said the council was “strongly committed” to securing the fort for use as an environmental activity centre or museum (click here).
Being absorbed into Revive means it is far more likely to be taken over for ‘high end’ tourism – though this is not an absolute given.
Of the buildings originally taken into the programme, only four have been ‘snapped up’ and the overall strategy has not been without controversy .
Explains Correio da Manhã, Culture minister Luís Castro Mendes was “forced” to remove Peniche Fortress from Revive “due to public indignation”.
The building is infamous as having been a former political prison. People felt its inclusion into a plan for gentrified tourism somehow trivialised the fort’s grim legacy.
Accompanying São Roque into the scheme are the Convento de Santa Clara (in Vila do Conde), the Colégio de São Fiel (Castelo Branco) and the Coudelaria de Alter do Chão (Portalegre).
natasha.donn@algarveresident.com
