The Government announced today the creation of a Holy Spirit Festival Route - Azores/Communities in the first semester of this year, an initiative that will become available through an Internet platform.

This project will provide historical information about each festivity with photographs and videos depicting its organisation and evolution over the years as well as the respective date of celebration. The initiative was presented at a press conference attended by the Regional Directors for Community, Paulo Teves, for Culture, Nuno Lopes, and for Tourism, João Bettencourt.

For Paulo Teves, the project is "a further contribution to the assertion of Azorean culture in the religious and popular areas that enrich Portugal in its Atlantic dimension."

"The Holy Spirit Festivals Route - Azores/Communities comprises what we can consider as the true demonstration and manifestation of 'Azoreanity'," stressed the Regional Director for Culture. In this context, the government official added that the "dissemination of this rich heritage" is also a way of "making the Azores and their people known to the world, not only those living in the archipelago, but also those who reside in the diaspora communities."

The Regional Director for Communities also mentioned that this project will be implemented in a partnership between the Government of the Azores with all Village Councils, regarding the collection of information on hundreds of Holy Spirit Festivals taking place in the archipelago, as well as with the Houses of the Azores, Holy Spirit brotherhoods and several cultural associations from the communities.

"In addition to providing an important contribution to the knowledge of the cultural and social history of the Azores and the Azorean people, we believe this is a fair tribute to all those who have kept this tradition alive in the diaspora community. It is based on the principals of solidarity and sharing that strongly contribute to the cohesion of the Region as well as of the communities and our people," emphasised Paulo Teves.

In turn, the Regional Director for Culture stressed the importance of the initiative, noting that it comes at a time when his department is currently adding to the Internet Platform a file on the intangible heritage of the Azores for online filling.

"It is important that all intangible heritage be based on the community and the civil society," the government official said, adding that the "Government is available, either through this festivals rout or the intangible heritage files, to provide platforms so that the civil society - communities - may include the aspects they consider relevant."
 
"This assessment will be carried out by them; we will only be responsible for the coordination of these platforms so that the documentation and information provided in the platform can meet the same standards regarding its dissemination and subsequent processing in terms of the immaterial heritage route," said Nuno Lopes.

According to the Regional Director for Tourism, the creation of the Holy Spirit Festivals Route - Azores/Communities is also an asset for the "diversification of the current tourism offer by promoting cultural and religious tourism." This initiative has the potential of "reducing the seasonality" of the regional tourism offer.

"For the Regional Directorate for Tourism, this project comes at an appropriate time and it will have all our collaboration," assured the Regional Director. In addition to diversifying the regional tourism offer, it also contributes to the dissemination of the "traditions of our islands" among younger generations.