The European Heritage Days are an initiative of the Council of Europe and the European Union, whose ultimate goal is to raise awareness of European citizens for the importance of heritage and its protection.
The IP IGESPAR, as national coordinator of the European Heritage Days, proposed for 2010 the theme “Heritage: A Map of History,” to qualify and increase visits to local heritage, providing visitors with much more than a mere contemplation.
Covering and knowing the territory, observing places which contain remains often unknown to most people and interpreting them is strategy to understand them better, acknowledge their value and achieve the desired objective of such initiatives: the creation of an empathic and active involvement with our Heritage.
In this context, the Carlos Machado Museum (MCM) joins this initiative by presenting an activity programme focused the VINEYARD theme.
Thus, the presence of Vineyard, Grapes, Vintage and Wine-making in the collections of the Carlos Machado Museum is the proposal to celebrate the European Heritage Days. This is noticeably present in various collections: Sacred Art, Regional Ethnography, Art and Natural History.
In order to carry out this initiative, the MCM established a partnership with the “Amigos do Calhau” Association and “Vinha,” a wine shop in Ponta Delgada.
The activities to take place on September 25 at 2 PM include a visit to the old “Currais de Vinha” (vineyard plots) in Pópulo – Livramento, which will be guided by the “Amigos do Calhau” Association. The meeting point will be at the bar of Pópulo Beach. A guided tour to the Sacred Art Centre of the Carlos Machado Museum, the old Colégio Church, under the theme “Searching for vineyards and grapes in this museum” is scheduled for 4 PM. There programme also includes a multimedia presentation on the presence of the Grapes and Vineyards and in the collections of the Carlos Machado Museum at 4:45 PM, followed by wine tasting.
Furthermore, there will also be activities developed under this theme addressed at children, starting at 4:45 PM, which will be monitored by the Education Service of the Carlos Machado Museum.