Government of the Azores awards contract work for the expansion of Pico Vineyard Culture Interpretation Centre
The Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Environment, through the Regional Directorate for the Environment, awarded the contract work for the recovery and renewal of a traditional stone masonry warehouse located in Lajido de Santa Luzia, Pico Island, to the company Pereira Unipessoal, Lda. for the amount of 117 thousand Euros.
With a completion period of four months, this contract work includes the renewal of the old warehouse, retaining the original façade, for creation of a visiting centre, an area for the display and tasting of wines and space to install the new exhibition about the Vineyard Culture Landscape.
The intervention also covers the maintenance of a stone wine press and the restoration of some barrels to be included in the exhibition and the reorganisation of the new space that will provide a response to significant increase of tourists visiting the Vineyard Culture Interpretation Centre.
The Interpretation Centre is installed in a manor house located in the of most peculiar areas of the Protected Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture - Lajido de Santa Luzia - where it coexists with the Headquarters of the Environmental Services and Pico Natural Park.
The Protected Landscape of Pico Island Vineyard Culture was established in 1996 in order to prevent the progressive disappearance of traditional land use systems, which were threatening the identity of the landscape, and safeguard its natural, scenic and cultural values. It was classified as World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2004.