Azores push for national underwater heritage museum

The Azores parliament has unanimously approved a proposal urging Portugal’s government to establish a National Museum of Nautical and Underwater Archaeology in the archipelago, arguing that the region is uniquely placed to host the institution.

The draft resolution, supported by all parties represented in the regional assembly, was approved during the June plenary session held in Horta, on the island of Faial.

Presenting the proposal, Social Democratic Party (PSD) MP Nídia Inácio described the initiative as “an act of justice towards the history of the Azores, towards Portugal’s maritime heritage and towards all those who, over decades, have defended, studied and promoted” the region’s underwater heritage.

The resolution highlights the Azores’ extensive maritime legacy and its internationally recognised underwater archaeological sites, which include Portugal’s only underwater archaeological parks, located off Angra do Heroísmo on Terceira island.

The archipelago is also home to the country’s only underwater cultural heritage route open to visitors, developed over the past decade and recognised across Europe as an example of how research, conservation and tourism can work together.

According to the proposal, these assets give the Azores “unparalleled material, scientific and symbolic legitimacy” to host a national museum dedicated to nautical and underwater archaeology.

Lawmakers want the museum to be based in Angra do Heroísmo and launched as part of celebrations marking the 600th anniversary of the discovery of the Azores in 2027.

The assembly said the museum would play a key role in preserving and promoting Portugal’s underwater cultural heritage, while strengthening the Azores’ position as an Atlantic centre for scientific research, education and cultural tourism.

The resolution calls on the Portuguese government to work with the regional administration and local authorities to create the museum and provide the necessary financial, technical and human resources, including access to national and European funding.

The proposal follows a public petition supporting the museum that gathered more than 3,000 signatures and was debated in the regional parliament in May.

Source: Lusa

Inês Lopes

Newspaper editor at The Portugal Resident