Beja: Heritage Defense Association- 40 years of history.
The Association for the Defense of the Cultural Heritage of Beja Region was founded 16 February 1979, a history of 40 year old.
Its foundation was based on the urgent need to create structures that sensitization of public institutions, private and populations for the preservation of cultural heritage, as well as organizing their own mechanisms zelassem the restoration and conservation of artistic and cultural heritage of Beja.
In its original statutes contained several goals, such as: the defense and promotion of cultural heritage of Beja region and preventing its degradation; the promotion of cultural heritage of the region; public awareness of the importance of safeguarding cultural heritage through various initiatives; work towards the creation of diverse museums and support so critical of existing; cooperate with similar associations at regional level, National and international; provide possible support to existing institutions that were meant to safeguard the cultural heritage; encourage the creation of associations and provide them with assistance and technical and scientific materials.
Activities of the decade 1980 … and then.
One of the first initiatives was adpBEJA, in 1983, promoting a debate on the "Protection Plan Beja History Center", this plan which involved scholars and technicians from different areas (architecture, history, engineering, archeology ...). This was the most logical step to take given the nature of adpBEJA. The following year it made the 1st Exhibition on Heritage of Beja, where people could get in touch with the important artistic and archaeological remains of the city, held still a Guided Visit to Mértola and promoted the project "Rebuilding Beja Former", which had as its main objective the graphical reconstruction of the ancient city through pictures and engravings of the time.
In 1985 It revitalized the Feast of the Mayan, a tradition over 2000 year old, however it had fallen somewhat by the wayside. To 1987 were held annual competitions for the selection of the best Mayan and Aios participating in Party. In 1986 the adpBEJA organized the exhibition "The Potteries Beringel", one way in art disappear and that adpBEJA tried to recover, creating the "Clay Workshop", with Master Isaclino, where the young could learn the art of working with clay.
1986 It was an important year for adpBEJA, It was carried out in this year's "1st Archaeological Meeting of the Beja region", an initiative which aimed to take stock of the situation about the archeology and archaeological research in the region and draw the vectors on which it should guide archaeological research and the role of heritage protection associations in this area. 1986 It was also the first year in which it held the International Course of Archeology in Villa of Pisões and the first Song Contest Alentejanos. The adpBEJA also promoted this year's "1st Meeting on Rehabilitation Policy architectural and urban Beja". was implemented also an Initial Project to increase the collection of the Regional Museum with findings from the monitoring work carried out in the historic city center.
In 1986 adpBEJA received the Merit Diploma the Beja District Civil Government and Cultural Merit Medal of Beja Town Hall for services rendered to the city and its people.
The Mayans and the Song Contest Alentejanos lasted annually by the end of the decade. In 1987 the adpBEJA promoted the "1st Meeting of History Teachers in the South Zone" with the theme "Historical Research is Possible and Desirable", this year held an exhibition of Regional Sweets it would be the prelude to a series of convent sweets shows that would take place in the coming years.
To 1990 Featured also for the realization of a Historic Ride (Cavalhada) in 1988, and the continuity of the "Feast of the Maya", the "Song Contest Alentejo" and "shows Confectionery Conventual".
In the years to the present day the adpBEJA has had a normal community life with the activities in the asset scope, except for a short period of the early twenty-first century, failed in terms of material and human resources. In the years following its foundations their local and regional role, creating several partnerships with institutions, for geographic and thematic development, which includes the natural heritage.
Among the partners They include the Ministry of Culture - Regional Delegation of Culture of the Alentejo, Municipality of Beja, Union of Beja City Parish, Beja Regional Museum, EDIA, NERBE - Business Center of Beja region, ACOS - Beja Sheep Breeders Association | Ovibeja, Beja Polis, IEFP, School groups 1 and 2 Beja, IPBEJA, Delta companies and Cafes, Agricultural box, CGD, Somincor and other.
Also in this story can be told with the partnerships to support stages educational and professional as the School D. Manuel I Beja, Professional School Bento de Jesus Caraga, the University of Évora, Polytechnic Institute of Portalegre and IPBeja - Polytechnic Institute of Beja, in the areas of heritage and history, Tourism and Marketing.
Invitations to integrate study commissions and follow-up They have been continuous, either for the archaeological work of Alqueva, to the General Council of IPBeja, where sits the chairman of the board of adpBEJA.
The set of activities and intervention that this association has organized have had on Social Communication a huge relevance, on all TV channels (RTP, SIC, TVI e CMTV), and in national newspapers, including the Morning Post, Public, Express, Daily News and News Newspapers, as well as on all local radio stations, regional and national transmission, Alentejo daily, as well as on social networks where it maintains a page and facebook, highlighting a video that reached one million and two hundred thousand people.
Current has been its participation in Ovibeja, always call the ACOS, wants to launch publications, conferences and exhibitions, diversifying public and geographical scope. The same has happened with camarárias initiatives, of district level, that contribute to the awareness of preservation and enhancement of our heritage or analyze strengths of sustainable development at local and regional.
It's hard to describe all kinds of Association activities, but among them may state a course Heritage Education at the request of local authority and various other targeting tour operators, security forces and other public connected to tourism in partnership with the Alentejo and Ribatejo Tourism. Parallel to the courses throughout the year are made dozens of Guided visits for the whole school community, teachers and students, or on its own initiative, either in partnership with the parish unions.
An example of this work will be building up to initiating Shows Confectionery, Traditional and Conventual, that after verifying that most of pastries and catering services not included almost none of the delicacies confecionadas by the nuns of the Conception convent and Santa Clara, Beja. Beja and Lower Alentejo. Today Beja offers convent sweets of outstanding quality, with the creation of companies in the sector and increased tourism, over this gastronomic offer.
Another initiative which the host had adpBEJA was a huge communication and visibility brought to her the affection and national visibility and further international, the movement BEJA DESERVE, which consisted of the defense to the abandonment of public investment that this region has suffered, particularly in accessibility. It all began in 2010, and later resumed in 2017, with the BEJA DESERVE +.
The last 4 Anos´
Driven by the financing of the Project Art in Azulejos 2014, which included the Tile Party and the edition of the Book Azulejos Art Beja, the adpBEJA gained new momentum and gave continuation to a series of activities in the following years.
In 2015 the adpBEJA held the 1st Party Tile Beja, in partnership with the SOS Tile Design Museum of the Judicial Police, Beja being the first city in the country to give due prominence to the community's awareness of the issue of protection and promotion of Portuguese Heritage Azulejos.
Beja Being the only city in the country with more than 5 centuries of Tiles in information, I had all the logic adpBEJA bet on the realization of this festival. A Tile party It is organized in conjunction with all the city's schools and the theme of the tile is inserted in the curriculum, and exposure of the final work of more than 3000 participating students the culmination of an activity that involves more than 200 teachers, and has its peak in 3 days in which the Tile Party.
The Republic Square welcomes thousands of students participating, They are promoted guided tours of the city's heritage, tiles are held painting workshops, costume parades, dances, concerts and photo contests. The Party Tile Beja has been promoted through all media, It is an asset to the city. In traditional media and social networks, it is estimated that the scope of the initiative is more than 1.000.000 people annually.
In 2015 the adpBEJA also started an editorial line with the publication of the books "Azulejos Art Beja” e “Beja: 100 years of images", and printing 25.000 "Tile routes" (a small guide published 6 Languages).
In 2016 was started the cycle "Beja Conference". In partnership with the City of Beja, were realized 4 conferences on various topics. Namely:
- "War of the Restoration in the Lower Alentejo" | (April 2016)
- “The French Invasions (1807-1812) A Joint Vision” | (June 2016)
- "Beja and Freemasonry (1874 – 1935)" | (October 2016)
- “As Sewer Roman Pax Ivlia " | (November 2016)
Speakers were Dr. Maria Emilia Borges, Dr. Anthony Ventura (FLUL |Modern History Prize and Contemporary Portugal 2014) Archaeologist and Miguel Serra.
Held again this year the 1st Photographic Marathon Beja, an open photo contest to the interested public and resulting in a photo exhibition.
Of 2015 a 2018 They have been celebrated the Maya, an ancient tradition that adpBEJA seeks to preserve a party aimed at families and participate where tens of children. A Party that animates the central area of the city during a month of the morning of May and that brings hundreds of people to the streets in a pagan celebration of spring.
In 2017 the adpBEJA started the year with the completion of a Solidarity Concert for the restoration of Oven Ti Bia Gadelha. This building was donated to the association by its owners due to the high degree of degradation that existed, and the promise that it would be recovered and returned to its original shape, It is available for the entire population.
With the help of Santiago Parish Council Major and St. John the Baptist, the adpBEJA proceeded to the restoration of this infrastructure, Community centenary oven, and plans to rebuild an annex building for the installation of a museum and bread Monitoring Center.
First restore a community building, the form and function, a heritage area built popular, with a function to inform food types based on buckwheat and can be used by the community. Partnerships are integral counting on the Agricultural School in wheat planting, Hanged in the mill for grinding, with the bakery industry in learning, the Farmers' Federation of the Lower Alentejo and other institutions, all in the same project.
In 2017 the adpBEJA edited drawn strip book "The Fantastic History of Old Recovery Beja Community Oven", written by Cristina Matos, an Art Course Multimedia student and the Polytechnic Institute of Beja.
Following the cycle "Beja Conference" started in 2016, the adpBEJA in partnership with the Municipality of Beja and edia, It has continued to this cycle, extending the themes and the number of conferences.
