The ten Arade cannons, from an underwater archaeological collection carried out at Ponta do Altar, in front of Ferragudo, have been classified 'of national interest', with the designation of 'National Treasury' . Three of the ten cannons are part of the permanent exhibition at the Portimão Museum.
"This classification had already been approved by the Section for Museums, Conservation and Restoration and Cultural Heritage (SMUCRI) of the National Council of Culture, and published in Diário da República last March 10th", explains the Câmara de Portimão in a statement .
The rescue of the ten bronze fire cannons collected off Ponta do Altar took place between 1992 and 2006, with three examples on display at the Museum of Portimão, while the other seven are in the collection of the National Center for Underwater Archeology, in Lisbon.
"The group now qualified as of national interest is associated with the shipwreck of a ship eventually serving the Spanish crown, which occurred during the period of the Iberian Union, between 1580 and 1640".
Although found in a dispersed form, "the ten cannons are considered to be the most significant artillery collections of the 17th century, representing an important testimony to the transoceanic navigation of the time and the passage of the connection routes between Spain and its overseas territories along the Portuguese coast" .
The classification of "National Treasury" is the highest degree attributable to a museum piece, giving each of the cannons the status of the 'most important moving piece' in the region and one of the most significant in the whole country.
The trio of cannons, each about three meters long, was first presented to the public as part of the exhibition "Um Mergulho na História", held in 2002 at the old Feu Factory, just a few years before the works that transformed the building into the future Museum of Portimão. The exhibition was also shown in 2003, at the National Museum of Archeology, in Lisbon.
The cannons can not be seen by the public at this time, due to the government decision announced on April 16th, to move Portimão back to the first phase of deconfinement, however, from the moment the doors are reopened, the Museum will once again exhibit the three valuable cannons, included in the permanent exhibition “Portimão - Território e Identidade”
You can visit the Museum of Portugal website at https://www.museudeportimao.pt/
Original article available in Portuguese at http://postal.pt/
