O Museum of the Lyceum of Faro was born a year ago and, to commemorate that date, it will consecrate and establish Manuel Viegas Guerreiro as patron, as well as inaugurate the exhibition “Manuel Viegas Guerreiro and the Sala de Angola do Liceu de Faro”, on the 11th of May .
In this exhibition, which will be on display between the 11th and 20th of May in the Library of the current Escola Secundária João de Deus, visitors will be able to learn about «the history of the Museum and what was done throughout this year», and the story of the ethnologist Manuel Viegas Guerreiro, with the support of his Foundation, «using a photographic narrative», explains to the South Information António Meira Pinto, curator of the Lyceu Museum.
Created with the aim of «opening the assets of the Liceu de Faro to everyone», this Museum has already managed, in just one year, to showcase itself not only to the school community, but also to the general public, thus fulfilling one of the great purposes of the its foundation.
As important initiatives, Meira Pinto highlights the creation of the Association of Friends of the Museum, «which has helped to boost activities», the colloquium on João de Deus and an exhibition to celebrate 50 years of the Revolution, with the support of CTT, which offered a limited edition with collection stamps from the 25th of April.
«One of the big goals we have is to bring people from the outside in – and we are achieving that. With the students it has been more difficult, because when they are here they are also in classes, but we have something new which is the volunteer pool that has already brought five extraordinary kids to the museum, who caught the feelings, and who are helping us with everything», reveals Meira Pinto.
A few days before the celebrations, Carlos Luís, former student and current director of the Secondary School, also highlights that the founding of this Museum was “an ambition” since he returned here.
«I always knew that the collection of this school was immense and it was a shame that it was hidden, poorly packaged, and could not be exposed and shown to students and other people. By a happy coincidence, I met Meira again and realized that I had a great ally here”, he says, reinforcing that the main objective for the future is to involve the Faro City Council, to be able to include the building and the Museum in the city’s tourist itineraries and take guided tours.
Helping with this entire compilation of assets is also Henrique Vieira, son of Higino Vieira, a professor from Angola with whom Manuel Viegas Guerreiro made an exchange in 1948.
«I have always done research and, here, at the Liceu de Faro, I came to find a lot of material on overseas publications. On this basis, I have been carrying out research that will be published in the Manuel Viegas Guerreiro Foundation’s quarterly magazine, Raiz», says the retired history teacher.
In addition to the celebrations on the 11th, on the 13th of May, at 3pm, the João de Deus Secondary School Library will host a lecture given by researcher Marques Inácio, who will talk about his Academy of Fado, Song and Guitar in Coimbra.
The initiative will feature the participation of former student, musician and artist José Maria Oliveira, who will talk about the importance that the rector of the Liceu, Rodrigues Davim, had in 1904, with the presentation of the theme “The influence of Singing and Music of Coimbra among students at the Liceu de Faro”.
Still on the 13th, but at 9pm, there will be fado and tuna shows from the University of Algarve at the Ermida de Santo António do Alto.
Meira Pinto believes that this initiative on the 13th will serve to show the Municipality that the old High School (today the Secondary School) «also has the capacity to host these events. It’s not just the Cathedral, this building can also showcase Faro’s culture».
Director Carlos Luís emphasizes that this is «a building that inspires curiosity among tourists, which dates back to 1948 and has a deep and long history, which began with D. Maria II».
For the future, the Museum of the Lyceum of Faro, the creation of the Pátio da Cultura, next to the Library, is also being considered, where some pieces of art donated by the children of the sculptor Vítor Picanço are already on display and, soon, other cultural events are planned to be held.
The Lyceum of Faro was officially created by decree of Queen D. Maria II, on January 3, 1851.
In 1911, the request was made to move from a “national” to a “central” high school, which allowed him to also teach the complementary course (and not just the general one).
The name of the Algarve poet and pedagogue “João de Deus” appears, for the first time, as patron of the high school, in 1912, by a movement started by his students, and was only recognized and made official in 1929.
It was renamed Liceu Nacional de Faro in 1948 and began to occupy a new space, in what is now the current building located at the top of Avenida 5 de Outubro.
The work was officially delivered on April 28, 1948 and, in 1966, the high school once again adopted the name Liceu João de Deus, and celebrated the patron’s day on March 8 (the date on which the poet’s birth is marked). and pedagogue).
On April 27, 1978, it was renamed Escola Secundária João de Deus, by decree that ended the distinction between high schools and technical schools.
In 2009, within the scope of the Secondary Schools Modernization Program, the public company Parque Escolar planned requalification works for the building, but it was only in September 2010 that its rehabilitation formally began, which was only completed in 2015.
Photos: Mariana Carriço | South Information
Tags: Faro Lyceum Museum turns year consecrates Manuel Viegas Guerreiro patron
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