International Day for Monuments and Sites
18 April 2022
The International Day for Monuments and Sites was established on 18 April 1982 by ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) with the aim of increasing public awareness to the diversity of heritage and efforts to protect and conserve it by highlighting its vulnerability.
18 April 2022 marks the International Day for Monuments and Sites, under the theme ‘Heritage and Climate’. The Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage and ICOMOS Portugal propose an analysis of “the past and the tangible and intangible heritage as an inheritance and reference of our identity, but also the designing of a more supportive and inclusive future, raising awareness to communities and audiences, strengthening identity ties and creating new opportunities – based on the recognition of the importance of culture and heritage as unifying elements of society”.
“The theme Heritage and Climate aims to look at the great causes of sustainability and circular economy from the point of view of Cultural Heritage, which has been suffering, to a greater or lesser extent, the effects of global warming, the alteration of surrounding ecosystems, situations of extreme drought or exposure to rising waters, but also to recognise its role as an agent in the construction of an inclusive, transformative and fair climate action”.
In this context, the Mértola Museum joins these celebrations by opening to the public, on 18 April (Monday), the Alcazaba of Mértola and the Islamic House, from 9:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 2:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. Our aim is that visitors understand how the buildings of the past adapted to the characteristics of the places where they are located, not only in terms of construction techniques, but also in terms of the organisation of space and the (re)use of materials. In the Alcazaba, buildings from different periods prove this relationship and can be the motivation for more sustainable current practices, which respect the specificities of each location.
Visit us on 18 April!