Praia, 26 Jun. (Inforpress) - Cidade Velha ("Old City"), previously known as Cidade de Ribeira Grande de Santiago de Cabo Verde, was registered as a World Heritage site by UNESCO.

The information was released this Friday in Seville, in which, starting on June 22nd, the World Forum of UNESCO, decided on 33 sites and monuments that had made the the list of candidates for World Heritage sites.

Of the 35 countries that submitted applications, only Cape Verde, Burkina Faso and Kyrgyzstan had no previous sites on the list of World Heritage.

The application process for the Cidade Velha, first approached last March, involved all of Cape Verde, and its president, Pedro Pires, was keen to get involved personally. He heightened investments in the endeavor, portions of which were strengthened and executed through cooperation with Spain and Portugal.

Located 12 km from the beach, Cidade Velha is considered the cradle of Cape Verde, and the poet Jorge Barbosa has referred to it in his writings by its "open beaches, where many where shipwrecked, where man-of-wars anchored, where sun-burned sailors, pirates, slaves, adventurers, convicts, aristocrats, slaves, governors, and captains all sojourned..."

The Minister of Culture, Manuel Veiga, considers the zone as "laboratory of miscegenation and the emergence of a new world, linking Africa, Europe, America, and the East" and where "the adventure of discovery has become the adventure of crioulidade ("creole-ness") and cultural diversity".

Cidade Velha was that first point of discovery of the "lost islands in the middle of the sea, in a forgotten corner of the world, those that the ocean waves surround, abuse, embrace", also in the words of Jorge Barbosa, where many navigators (Vasco da Gama, Columbus, Pedro Alvares Cabral) and pirates (Francis Drake and others) all landed. The latter devastated the land and forced its inhabitants to flee to a safer point, 12 km away, to the city now known as Praia, the capital of Cape Verde.

Father Paulo Campos, over 80 years old and a native of Portugal, is the priest in charge of the two parishes of Cidade Velha (St. John the Baptist and Holy Name of Jesus, the first parish in the country and all of West Africa, created in 1460). He has worked, though with some interruptions, for about 40 years, having arrived, "by boat boat, because that was the only way of travel then," in 1954. 

The prelate acknowledged that "this world heritage status can attract tourists and revenue." He furthermore showed that "a short while ago, during the excavations in the Cathedral, the tomb of the second bishop of Cape Verde was discovered.

To characterize the human landscape of Cidade Velha, Father Paulo Campos says that "there are about 1,200 people living in the area," a population that is "stable", but very poor. "So I ask myself," he points out, "how can people can make money here, because the sea does not provide not much fish ... Sometimes they get lucky and come across a school, but usually the fishermen leave in the morning and return with boats that are still empty ... "

Then there is the issue of rain, or the lack thereof. "It's been more than a year since it last rained," says the priest. However, he acknowledges the progress made with the elevation of Ribeira Grande to the category of a municipality, as there will now be schools and support structures for its people. There is hope, says Paulo Campos, and "those that live here are hopeful, wonderful people, in a world of peace and in a fantastic climate."