The Roman mosaic of Neptune, God of the Sea, that is on display at the municipal museum in Faro, has been elevated to the status of a National Treasure at a meeting of the Council of Ministers on May 3rd.This recognition is the highest category under the Portuguese system and is a first for the Algarve region – in fact there was nothing with this coveted status south of Évora.
Museum director, Marco Lopes, commented in an interview with Sul Informação, "This is an exceptional piece, both in size and in artistic terms and as a testimony of the Roman presence in Faro, then called Ossonoba, which was an important port city in the province. It's a fabulous mosaic."
The process took around three years as it made its way through the long dusty corridors of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage.
João Paulo Bernardes of the University of Algarve and Catarina Viegas from the University of Lisbon, both specialising in the Roman period, studied the mosaic and helped to justify the enhanced classification.
In 2017, the mosaic unanimously was approved by the Museums department of the National Council of Culture with the Council of ministers approving it, this May.
This classification, says Marco Lopes, opens the door for more Algarve museum pieces to be recognised as National Treasure.
"I know Algarve’s museum collections well and I think there are pieces that are capable of obtaining this classification," added Lopes.
Faro Museum
Winter – October/May: Tuesday to Friday: 10am – 6.00pm; Saturday and Sunday: 10.30 am – 5.00pm;
Summer – June/September: Tuesday to Sunday: 10.00am – 7pm; Saturday and Sunday: 11.30 am – 6.00pm;
Closed: Monday and holidays
Summer – June/September: Tuesday to Sunday: 10.00am – 7pm; Saturday and Sunday: 11.30 am – 6.00pm;
Closed: Monday and holidays
Comments
This wonderful " Megalithic Stone Circle" is very much open to be public. And if you were to educate yourself with a journey to this fabulous ancient site, You would be aware that it has large sign pointing the direction to the site from the main road between Evora and Lisbon.
Have been there recently and there was no sign of barbed wire.
Even when attempts are made to educate the locals and make tourist trails, as with the Evora Stone Age burial tombs, the landowner then surrounds the ancient sites with barbed wire. Stopping access!