The new president of Tourism of Porto and North of Portugal visited yesterday the works of requalification of the Basilica of Bom Jesus, candidate for World Heritage of UNESCO. Luís Pedro Martins said that the entity intends to «make known this destination because, once they see the first time, it will be easy to attract and retain tourists».

The president of the Confraria do Bom Jesus,, Varico Pereira, revealed that during the intervention in the upper choir were pieces of paramilitary from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and that the Brotherhood of the Clerics ceded a candlestick to be placed in the transept of the minhoto temple, in a pioneering partnership in Portugal.

 

According to the coordinator of the supervision of works underway in the Basilica of Bom Jesus, «the company already has 75% of the work completed».

«Next week begins the third phase of the intervention inside the basilica, which consists of the restoration operation of ceilings and masonry of the nave. All the restoration of the transept and chancel is finished, that is to say, it finished what could cause more delays, the most delicate part of the work», Paulo Sousa told Diário do Minho on the fringes of the visit of the President of the Tourism Authority of Porto and Northern Portugal (TPNP), Luís Pedro Martins, to the minhoto sanctuary, a candidate on the United Nations Educational, Science and Culture (UNESCO).

About 30 professionals are involved in the project, and next Monday, they begin to dismantle scaffolding, which means the beginning of the last stage.

For this reason, the vice president of Confraria do Bom Jesus defended, the timing of the visit of the maximum head of the TPNP to the works «could not be other».

Yesterday was «an opportunity to present TPNP as a strategic ally for this [World Heritage] bid. We hope that the entity will help us in this process of dissemination and promotion of Bom Jesus and the World Heritage candidacy itself», said Varico Pereira

«We know that the dimension of Bom Jesus goes beyond our borders. Recently, we have seen the classification of Braga as a European destination and the image presented was that of Bom Jesus. This clearly means that the ex-libris of the City of Archbishops remains Bom Jesus», assured the person in charge, before listing the news related to the ongoing intervention on the spot.

«The works are an opportunity to see the work that is being done and to qualify the visit of the people. We are working on conservation and restoration, but also on improving the conditions of those who visit Bom Jesus: pilgrims and tourists, » explained Varico Pereira, before mentioning that visitors will have «more to see».

 

Diário do Minho
Photo: Avelino Lima