VITOR SERRÃO IS AWARDED A MEDAL OF CULTURAL MERIT

Professor Vitor Serrão was one of seven major figures from the field of Heritage Studies distinguished with a Medal of Cultural Merit. 

According to the statement released by the Ministry of Culture, the Medals of Cultural Merit were awarded to "Emílio Rui Vilar, Francisco Alves, João Zilhão, José Meco, Simonetta Luz Afonso, Vitor Serrão and the Group of Friends of the National Museum of Ancient Art, in acknowledgement of their remarkable contribution to the field of Cultural Heritage". It is also stated that "the seven medals recipients stand out in different and key areas of heritage valorization, such as museum and monument management, archaeology, research, conservation, restoration and teaching".

Regarding Vitor Serrão, the statement says the following: "with a career of over five decades devoted to research and teaching, which translated into a vast body of work of the highest importance, especially in the fields of Modern Art History, Artistic and Visual Theory and Cultural Heritage, he stands out as one of the greatest Portuguese authorities in these domains".

José Meco is also praised: with "a career of over four decades, he is a major figure in the research dedicated to Portuguese azulejo coverings, one of the art forms that defines the country's artistic identity. This work is seen by José Meco as a veritable cause, akin to the duties of citizenship and public service".

The medals were awarded yesterday, the 4th of January 2024, at the Ajuda National Palace, during a ceremony that marked the entry into operation of the new firms that will take over the management of cultural heritage - Museus e Monumentos de Portugal, E.P.E., and Património Cultural, I.P.