The European Commission and Europa Nostra have honoured Professor Cl\u00e1udio Torres with the European Heritage Europa Nostra Award 2023, in the ‘Heritage Champions’ category, acknowledging his distinguished work in promoting the enhancement and conservation of Islamic heritage in Portugal over more than 45 years, in which he and the M\u00e9rtola Archaeological Site played a pivotal role.
\nThe 30 laureates of the Awards were selected by a Panel made up of heritage experts from all over Europe, following an assessment by Selection Committees responsible for analysing the applications submitted by both organisations and individuals from 35 European countries.
\nCecilia Bartoli, Chair of Europa Nostra, said: ‘I warmly congratulate the winners of this year’s European Heritage Europa Nostra Awards on their well-deserved recognition. These are inspiring examples that truly contribute to building a more beautiful, sustainable and inclusive Europe. Their success stories show how adversity can be overcome through knowledge, dedication, creativity and innovation (\u2026)’.
\nThe press release from June 2023 states that ‘archaeologist Cl\u00e1udio Torres has dedicated his entire life to revealing the legacy of Islamic heritage in Portugal. As an educator in Medieval History at the University of Lisbon, Cl\u00e1udio Torres noted that though there was a significant Islamic presence in Portugal for a period of 500 years, this was not duly reflected in historical study of the time. This led to his research in M\u00e9rtola, a small village in the southeast of Portugal, where he established the M\u00e9rtola Archaeological Site (CAM).
\nThe old city of Martulah (or M\u00e9rtola) had been an important city in Antiquity and the Middle Ages, but its status later declined and was largely forgotten. Excavations initiated by Cl\u00e1udio Torres in 1978 uncovered a wealth of discoveries which have reshaped understanding of the site for the contemporary world and revealed important links across the Mediterranean.
\nAmong the discoveries were a necropolis dating from the Late Middle Ages, an intricate Islamic district and an impressive Paleo-Christian religious compound, along with two 6th-century baptisteries and mosaics with strong Byzantine influences.
\nThese fascinating excavations proved to be the catalyst for a period of research and
\ninvestigation that has now lasted more than 45 years. Museum exhibits were developed, dozens of books and catalogues were published, and a journal in medieval archaeology was launched, among other initiatives.
\nM\u00e9rtola has become a regular destination for academics and researchers. It has hosted international conferences and many researchers visit the village and its archaeological site, especially from Tunisia and Morocco. Several generations of archaeologists, historians, anthropologists and curators-restorers, among others, have trained there.
\nThe research centre and extensive library created by Cl\u00e1udio Torres in M\u00e9rtola includes a research unit run in collaboration with the Universities of Coimbra and the Algarve. The Islamic Festival in M\u00e9rtola, held every two years and celebrating its 11th edition in 2023, has strengthened ties with other countries that share Islamic history and culture. The small village in the Alentejo region, with a population of just over 1,000, has attracted thousands of visitors each year, resulting in a boost in the tourism economy. A renewed pride extended also to the local community, which was at the centre of the project from the very beginning and became part of its own future and development. Among his achievements, Cl\u00e1udio Torres was also involved in creating the Guadiana Valley Natural Park, of which he was the first Director.’
\n‘As a bridge-builder between Islamic and Christian cultures, Cl\u00e1udio Torres has played a pivotal role in fostering the appreciation and conservation of Islamic heritage in Portugal, which has immense importance for Europe’s cultural heritage as a whole and which deserves to be acknowledged and cherished. He has gone beyond conventional archaeological practices and actively involved the local community in safeguarding and celebrating their shared heritage. He has thus become a source of inspiration for many’, the Awards’ Panel stated.
\n‘Cl\u00e1udio Torres’ remarkable achievement of having the Lower Guadiana Valley listed as a National Park highlights his holistic vision linking archaeology, natural and cultural heritage and local development. His tireless support for teamwork and collaboration has been instrumental in his success, bringing together professionals and creating a cohesive team that remains rooted in M\u00e9rtola’, the Panel concluded.
\nThe European Heritage Awards Ceremony took place on 28 September at the Palazzo del Cinema in Venice (Italy), followed by the presentation in Lisbon and at the University of \u00c9vora.
\nOn 11 November it will be M\u00e9rtola’s turn, in an event organised by the Archeological Site and the Town Hall, to acknowledge the important work of Cl\u00e1udio Torres and pay him due tribute and acknowledgement. The programme includes presentations highlighting his work, under the topic ‘Cl\u00e1udio Torres and M\u00e9rtola. Research, heritage, local development and the future’.
\nMore information at https:\/\/claudiotorres.camertola.pt\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The European Commission and Europa Nostra have honoured Professor Cl\u00e1udio Torres with the European Heritage Europa Nostra Award 2023, in the ‘Heritage Champions’ category, acknowledging his distinguished work in promoting the enhancement and conservation of Islamic heritage in Portugal over more than 45 years, in which he and the M\u00e9rtola Archaeological Site played a pivotal… Ler mais Cl\u00e1udio Torres – European Heritage Europa Nostra Award 2023 in the Heritage Champions category<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18809,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[131],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.museudemertola.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18822"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.museudemertola.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.museudemertola.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.museudemertola.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.museudemertola.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18822"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.museudemertola.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18822\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18824,"href":"https:\/\/www.museudemertola.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18822\/revisions\/18824"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.museudemertola.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18809"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.museudemertola.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18822"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.museudemertola.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18822"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.museudemertola.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18822"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}