23/05/2024
Tributes to two notable personalities of São João da Madeira - Jorge Cortez and Magalhães dos Santos - were highlights of the solemn session commemorating City Day, held at the Casa da Criatividade on Thursday, May 16.
The session began with a performance by young violinist Matilde Margalho, accompanied on the piano by Professor Fernando Cruz, who returned to the stage at various points throughout the event. This was followed by the screening of a video about Jorge Cortez, the commissioner of the celebrations for the 40th anniversary of São João da Madeira's elevation to city status.
A prominent figure in the municipality, recognized for his civic and political engagement, Jorge Cortez has extensive local government experience, which was evident in his speech during the May 16 session, a date he experienced in 1984 as the youngest councilman of the Municipal Chamber.
Later, the Mayor presented the Municipal Merit Medal in Gold to Magalhães dos Santos, described as an “activist and cultural promoter, writer, actor, columnist, and freedom fighter,” whose contributions “significantly enhanced the cultural and social development of São João da Madeira.”
The session also included a segment dedicated to the work "Manuscritos do Mar Báltico" by Francisco Teixeira Lopes (a literary pseudonym), which won the 2023 João da Silva Correia Literary Prize and was presented by diplomat and writer Luís Castro Mendes, a member of the jury for this competition.
