Through the purchase of this land, which covers more than 128 hectares, from the company “BDR – Investimentos, LDA.”, the Chamber announced its intention to “look after, preserve, conserve and value its territory, safeguarding its biodiversity, ecosystems, geological heritage, archaeological, historical, cultural and landscape”.

Rute Silva, mayor of Vila do Bispo, told Sul Informação that, on that extensive land by the sea, which includes a marsh, Roman ruins, Pombaline buildings and great biodiversity, in the heart of the Natural Park of Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina, The intention is to create an “environmental and archaeological park”, managed by the city hall.

“My current intention is to create an environmental reserve there and try to develop projects so that the Roman villa can be seen and made visitable. But also to create routes so that people can use that in a sustainable way, with load limits”. Basically, added the mayor in her statements to Sul Informação, the idea is to “create a small natural reserve, which also takes into account the archaeological heritage”.

To achieve this, Rute Silva highlighted, it is necessary to create a technical team at city hall, an internal working group, which defines the future and projects ideas.

Immediately, she highlighted, “what was needed was to stop the construction intentions that were there”, which would lead to the destruction of the fragile ecosystem and the affectation of the archaeological ruins. “Above all, what needed to be done was to safeguard that area”, she reinforced.

The Vila do Bispo City Council is considering using the Environmental Fund to help pay for the million euros it invested in the purchase of Herdade da Boca do Rio. If this is not possible, even because the deal has already been completed, “at least they will have to help us with the investments that will need to be made, to preserve the Roman villa and the Pombaline warehouses that are nearby, to defend this heritage archaeological analysis of the advance of the sea, to create routes and preserve environmental heritage”.