A new monument and a centenary exhibition will be Silves Council’s “birthday present” to the town’s volunteer firefighters, as the group of Bombeiros turns 100 tomorrow, Saturday, 14 November.
First comes the unveiling of the monument, titled “1926 VIDA POR VIDA 2026”, a gift from the council, unveiled at 12.30pm in Jardim da Cruz da Palmeira in Silves.
“This monument aims to honour and preserve our collective memory, as well as publicly recognise the fundamental role played by Silves’ volunteer firefighters in the safety and wellbeing of the population,” the council said.
At 4pm, the exhibition “Associação Humanitária de Bombeiros Voluntários de Silves: Cem Anos de História, Dedicação e Coragem” (A Hundred Years of History, Dedication and Courage) opens at the Silves Municipal Archaeology Museum (MMAS), inviting residents and visitors to “walk through a century of history of one of the municipality’s oldest and most emblematic institutions”.
Drawing on documents and objects from the association’s own archives, the show brings together period photographs, old uniforms, medals of merit, institutional papers, rescue equipment, and tools used over the decades. According to the council, the collection traces the group’s evolution from its founding to the present day, bearing witness to the profound changes in the means and resources available for protection and rescue.
The exhibition runs at the museum until 9 May.
Through these events, Silves Council says it is marking a defining moment in the association’s history, reaffirming the municipality’s recognition and gratitude for the work, dedication, and spirit of service of all the men and women who, over a hundred years, have given part of their lives to serving and protecting others, embodying their motto “Life for Life” through courage and a sense of mission.
Source: Sul Informação
Photo credit: Bombeiros de Silves
