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Honourable Minister for Culture
Honourable Vice-President of the Xunta of Galicia
Honourable Mayor of Santiago de Compostela
Honourable Mayor of Santiago do Cacém
Reverend Bishop of Beja
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am very pleased to be in Santiago do Cacém, today, to open the exhibition “Pathway under the Stars” and, at the same time, witness the signature of the twinning agreement between this municipality and that of Santiago de Compostela.

The history of this Alentejo city is connected, as we all know, to the many pilgrims that crossed it on the way to Compostela, and were welcomed and assisted here, before continuing on their Path.

It is a history which is naturally linked to the observance of faith and to the essential values which shaped our culture and our collective identity.

But it also witnesses our historical links with neighbouring Spain and with the remainder of Europe.

At this time, when Portugal presides to the Council of the European Union, our being able to recall our roots, to view the marks left by the many that, throughout centuries, crossed our lands, moved by faith and hope, is a very happy coincidence.

The objects and works of art, which we will be able to admire, are a fantastic testimony of the diversified network of itineraries and contacts which always linked our peoples.

But they are, above all, the proof that, today as well as then, we can establish links of friendship and cooperation around fundamental values, much beyond the differences which have always existed.

I wish for this reason to single out in my salute the Galician authorities who are amongst us today, and stress how very pleased I am for the collaboration that has been shown between the Municipalities of Santiago do Cacém and of Santiago de Compostela.

I hope that this collaboration may continue with other initiatives, with the same success as with this exhibition.

I am also very pleased for the work that is currently being carried out by the Beja diocese in the defence of the religious and cultural heritage, which was decisive for the exhibition which we will be visiting and for the safeguard of the various monuments in the region of Lower Alentejo.

I would much appreciate that examples such as this could be repeated all over our national territory.

The preservation of our historical heritage is a task beholden to us all and for which we are all responsible in the face of tomorrow’s generations.

Not all of us, obviously, have the specialized knowledge or other means that would allow us to recover monuments.

But we all can and should esteem our belongings, try to gain some knowledge about them, visit them during our holidays or week-ends, and contribute towards their preservation so that these assets become a visiting card of which we can be proud.

I have said it in several ways, in several public speeches, since I took office as President of the Republic: «the preservation of the space we inhabit, as well as of the heritage which was left us, are two decisive components for the strengthening of our common identity».

It was for this reason that I decided to launch today, here in Santiago do Cacém, the first campaign of the Route to Heritage, with the aim to sensitize the various bodies, institutions, enterprises, schools and the people in general, for the relevance of this cause.

I wish, before anything else, to emphasize the richness of the Portuguese cultural heritage. We all know, or at least have heard of, the main Portuguese monuments, mainly those which have achieved the status of Human Heritage.

But how many of us have endeavoured to preserve the small but valuable monuments which are so often abandoned near the places where we live?

I also wish to highlight the good practices that, fortunately, are already being achieved for this purpose by several groups of citizens, institutions and local authorities.

I wish to encourage young people to become better acquainted with, and study, our cultural heritage.

I wish, finally, to call attention to the importance of the preservation of heritage as a decisive factor not only of our collective identity, but also of our economic and social development.

A Country such as Portugal, with more than eight centuries as an independent nation and which has an extremely notable cultural heritage, cannot cast away that added value which is the uniqueness of its heritage.

I congratulate the Municipality of Santiago do Cacém and the Historical and Artistic Department of the Beja Diocese for the organization of this magnificent exhibition and wish to thank the Xunta of Galicia for its inestimable collaboration.