As part of the preparations for Expo Osaka 2025, the Municipality of Freixo de Espada à Cinta, the birthplace of Jorge Álvares, a key figure in the historical relations between Portugal and the East, hosted a conference as part of the program "Osaka in Portugal: Connecting Cultures and Building Bridges with Japan."
The conference was opened by Nuno Ferreira, Mayor of Freixo de Espada à Cinta, who highlighted the importance of Jorge Álvares to the municipality and the relations between Portugal and the East. The Mayor also emphasised the crucial role of Portugal and the Douro region’s participation in Expo Osaka 2025. Luís Machado, President of CIMDOURO, reinforced the historical and cultural ties between Portugal and Japan, highlighting the region’s significance in international promotion and explaining why Freixo de Espada à Cinta was chosen to host the event, due to its connection to Jorge Álvares and the municipality's cultural dynamism.
The conference included two presentations: Ana Lúcia Mendes Pinto and Sandra Tapadas, researchers from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Lisbon, discussed the topic "Jorge Álvares in the Sculptural Composition of Euclides Vaz," while Jorge Duarte, historian of the Municipality, spoke about "Jorge Álvares and the ‘Informação do Japão’ (1957)."
At the end, a tribute was paid to the statue of Jorge Álvares, by Euclides Vaz, located in Jorge Álvares Square, followed by a visit to the Chapel of Santo António, where the painting “Pentecostes” by António Leitão (16th century), featuring Asian representations, is displayed, and to the Museum of Silk and Territory.
The program "Osaka in Portugal" runs until October 2025 in various cities across the country, aiming to offer the Portuguese public an immersion in Japanese culture and the historical and contemporary relations between the two countries.
