On the afternoon of Saturday, September 5th, the town of Alcáçovas (Portugal) celebrated the 547th Anniversary of the Peace Treaty signed there on September 4th, 1479, between the Kingdoms of Portugal and Castile, which ended the so-called War of Succession to the Castilian Throne and defined the maritime zones of influence of the two kingdoms, as well as the awarding of the European Heritage Label to the Paço dos Henriques, symbolizing the importance that the town assumed in European and World history.
The event began with the unveiling of the information plaque commemorating the awarding of this European distinction on the exterior of the Paço dos Henriques, in the presence of Henrique Sim-Sim, Vice-President of the CCDRA, Luís Metrogos, Mayor of Viana do Alentejo, Maria João Carvalho, President of the Parish Council of Alcáçovas, and Eduardo Basso, President of the European Network of Sites of Peace.
The auditorium of the Paço dos Henriques then hosted the Commemorative Session for the 547th Anniversary of the Treaty and the recent awarding of the Heritage Label, with speeches alluding to these themes by representatives of those institutions and preceded by a session of “Cante Alentejano” by the “Grupo Coral Feminino Paz e Unidade de Alcáçovas“.
After that session, Professor and Historian Fátima Farrica presented the project that aims to unify historical research on the Paço dos Henriques, in various aspects, and which will result in the future publication of a book disseminating the results of the investigations that will be part of the project. In another area of the Palace, the Exhibition of the 5th Alcáçovas Photography Competition was also inaugurated.
The Commemorations ended in the best way with a Historical Reenactment of the Signing of the Treaty of Alcáçovas by the Scenic Group of the “Sociedade União Alcaçovense“, made up of members of the population and which showed well the affection and pride of the population of Alcáçovas for the contribution made by the town to the History of Portugal, Europe and the World in general.
