The reconstruction of the Cathedral of Cidade Velha will move forward – announced the Prime Minister

The reconstruction of the Cathedral follows the requalification of the Sé Catedral / Forte Real de S. Filipe road, and will be complemented with the requalification of the access road Sé Catedral / Largo da Misericórdia through the Operational Tourism Program (POT).

The Government of Cape Verde will proceed with the reconstruction of the Cathedral of Cidade Velha. The information was released this Tuesday by the Prime Minister, in his speech, at the solemn session of the 18th anniversary of the creation of the Municipality of Ribeira Grande de Santiago. “It is a commitment that we will honor. We are working to submit the project to UNESCO”. Ulisses Correia e Silva said, adding that “its religious, cultural and economic impact is enormous”.

The reconstruction of the Cathedral follows the requalification of the Sé Catedral / Forte Real de S. Filipe road, and will be complemented with the requalification of the access road Sé Catedral / Largo da Misericórdia through the Operational Tourism Program (POT).

A program (POT) that has already made it possible to signal tourist trails and has projected other works, such as the pedestrian trail of Forte São Filipe that will be reclassified, the 2nd phase of the requalification of the Seafront whose program contract has already been signed, rehabilitating the Praça Central Cidade Velha and the adjacent historic central streets, as well as the neighborhood of S. Sebastião and the houses on Rua da Banana, whose start-up is scheduled for the month of March.

The construction of the Bota Rama – Salineiro alternative road is also planned, allowing the historic center to be freed from congestion, and an international public tender process is underway for the preparation of the Safeguard Plan for the Old Town, a territorial management instrument required by UNESCO.

There are 324 million escudos to be invested through the Tourism Operational Program until 2026, which also includes the structuring of a Rural Tourist Village and the Electrification of Mosquito de Horta (in progress) and the implementation of the Management of World Heritage Sites project, which includes the training of economic agents in the tourism sector and the introduction of ICT in services associated with tourism in the old town.

These are projects advanced by the Head of Government who pointed out the fact that, in the year 2022, with the resumption of tourism, Cidade Velha will have received around 25 thousand foreign visitors.

“With ongoing and planned public investments, private investments and a strong commitment to promotion, training and the quality of services provided, we will position Cidade Velha as a specific tourist destination in Cape Verde known for Cape Verdean history and culture and its relationship with the world", underlined Ulisses Correia e Silva.