The Church of São Vicente de Sousa, in Felgueiras, is undergoing a conservation and enhancement intervention valued at approximately 137 thousand euros, of which more than 102 thousand euros are provided by European funding through the NORTE 2030 programme. The work was visited by the vice-presidents of CCDR NORTE, Rui Costa and Pedro Machado, accompanied by the mayor of Felgueiras, Nuno Fonseca, and the president of Turismo do Porto e Norte de Portugal, Luís Pedro Martins.
The intervention is part of the "Northern Routes: Conservation and Safeguarding of the Route of Romanesque Heritage" operation, which represents a total investment of 2.5 million euros, supported by approximately 1.9 million euros from the European Regional Development Fund. The objective is to conserve and enhance the heritage elements of the Route of Romanesque, but also to increase the capacity of these spaces to attract visitors and generate economic activity in the territories.
The visit to Felgueiras took place on the same day that the Romanesque Interpretation Centre, in Lousada, hosted a working meeting dedicated to the Northern Routes, which brought together officials from CCDR NORTE, Turismo do Porto e Norte de Portugal and the municipalities of Lousada and Felgueiras. Among the measures discussed was the simplification of the Routes' adhesion processes, the strengthening of promotion and the creation of better conditions to increase the attraction capacity of heritage resources.
The Northern Routes are a joint strategy of CCDR NORTE and Turismo do Porto e Norte de Portugal that integrates 17 thematic routes, including the Route of Romanesque, the Ways of Saint James, Castles and Fortresses, Castros and Industrial Heritage. For Álvaro Santos, president of CCDR NORTE, the next challenge is to make heritage increasingly known, visited and experienced, transforming it into a regional network with greater visibility.
