Government argues that Côa Valley heritage “occupies singular place”

«This is the celebration of the 30 years of the Côa Valley Archaeological Park [PAVC] in which many who remember the founding element, which serves to recognize a path developed over three decades of study and appreciation of a heritage that occupies a truly unique place in the history of humanity and in the cultural identity of our country", said the ruler at the ceremonies of the PAVC, chaired by the President of the Republic, António José Seguro.

For Balseiro Lopes, in the Côa Valley, a “single patrimony of Paleolithic art that we now know in the open air”, the rock engravings “mark the landscape” while “remember that artistic creation accompanies humanity from its early days”.

“This is a heritage that brings us closer to the origins of human creativity, and that allows us to know better a common past, which belongs not only to Portugal, but to all humanity”, said Balseiro Lopes at the event, which brought together various personalities linked to the past and present of the Côa Valley, such as rulers, mayors, academics, among other local and national entities.

For the minister, the Côa Valley is also an example of how culture is affirmed in the territory, being a heritage that does not exist disconnected from the landscape surrounding it and from the communities, which over time have contributed to its valorization and preservation.

The president of Fundação Côa Parque, João Paulo Sousa, argued that that territory knew how to transform risk into heritage, when in 1994, in the context of the discussion between art and dam, about 80 rocks with engravings were identified, in 14 sites, and the following year the inventory almost doubled and continued to grow in the following years.

"Today, the territory continues to reveal its true size, with over 1,600 rocks, scattered throughout 104 archaeological sites. Only in 2026, 69 rocks were discovered in six different sites,” he said.

The construction of the Côa dam was suspended on 17 January 1996, accompanied by a request for a report on the heritage and archaeological value of the region by UNESCO, which would allow the government a final and reasoned decision on the hydroelectric project.

In July 1997, the archaeological complex of the Côa Valley was classified as a national monument and, in December 1998, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Also at the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the PAVC, the mayor of Vila Nova de Foz Côa, Pedro Duarte, stressed that the recognition of the Côa Valley by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site was “the affirmation of an extraordinary territory”.

«The Côa Valley is not just a set of rock engravings. It is one of the ancient testimonies of human creativity”, stressed the mayor, who argued that the country made the right decision to preserve the rock engravings, to the detriment of a dam.