Regional Secretary for Education and Culture defends Azorean cultural heritage in line with "international trends"
The Regional Secretariat for Education and Culture, Avelino Meneses, defended that the regional legislation on the defence of cultural movable and building heritage should be in line "with the current international trends."
Speaking to journalists in Ponta Delgada after the end of a hearing at the Committee on Social Affairs of the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores, Avelino Meneses explained that the amendments under parliamentary discussion are intended "to adopt the measures defined by ICOMOS and UNESCO."
"It also aims to update our legislation on heritage, which is relatively outdated and still embodies the heritage interventions strategy advocated in Portugal and Europe in the second half of the 20th century," added the government official.
According to the Regional Secretary for Education and Culture, this update "must be carried out because our legislation is still heavily dependent on the rebuilding of the city of Angra do Heroísmo after the 1980 earthquake."
"Our legislation tends to focus on the preservation of façades and roofs and not so much on the remodelling of interiors," specified the Regional Secretary.
Over time, the "occupation of patio areas" through the renovation of buildings was authorized under the current legislation, which may prove to be a potential hazard in the event of earthquakes or fires," added the government official.
According to Avelino Meneses, this rationalisation is intended to provide "solutions in the area of heritage that coexist with the needs of our time and our daily life, especially in terms of health and environmental comfort, as well as with pest control, natural catastrophes, energy performance and new technologies."
From this perspective, the new legislation also aims "to reach a balance between tradition and modernity. It is primarily intended to raise the awareness of citizens for the importance of defending their heritage," concluded the Regional Secretary.