http://www.deccanherald.com/content/8300/portugals-seven-wonders-spark-controversy.html
Battle for Basilica Portugal’s seven wonders spark controversy Devika Sequeira, Panaji, DH News Service: Tuesday, June 16, 2009 An initiative in Portugal to list the 7 wonders of Portuguese origin in the world has been slammed by historians as ‘silly’, and has drawn angry reactions in many of its former colonies across the world. In Goa, the Freedom Fighters Association said Portugal had no business to claim the Basilica of Bom Jesus as a Portuguese monument and has asked the state government to take up the matter officially with Portuguese authorities. In Africa, where Portugal had several colonies, criticism has centred around the fact that no mention was made that some of the historical sites shortlisted were connected with the slave trade. The Old Goa Basilica which houses the remains of St Francis Xavier and the Fortress of Diu are among the ‘7 Wonders of Portuguese Origin in World’ announced in Portimao, Portugal on June 10. The other sites are: Fortress of Mazagao (Morocco), Old Town of Santiago (Cape Verde), Church of Saint Paul (Macau), Convent of Saint Francis of Assisi (Brazil) and Convent of St. Francis (Brazil). The initiative, supported by Portugal’s Culture Ministry attracted 239,418 votes on the Internet and telephone. The organisers said: “The 27 chosen monuments (originally shortlisted) are situated in 16 countries and are a reason of pride for all Portuguese people. They represent our courage, our ingeniousness and dedication. Choosing the New 7 Wonders of Portugal is to divulge and protect a heritage that belongs to us but also to all of humanity.” Architectural historian Paulo Varela Gomes who heads the Portuguese Fundacao Oriente in Goa said the 7 wonders initiative was a “silly spectacle” conceived in the 19th and 20th century context. It made no sense to apply national classifications to monuments that predated the formation of nations, he said. The Goa Basilica was built by the Jesuits in the early 17th century. They were a multi-cultural order that belonged to no particular nation. Historical sites had to be seen in an ecumenical way, he said. * * * Freedom fighters protest Goan monuments in Portuguese 7 wonders list 14 Jun 2009, 1229 hrs IST, IANS Print Email Discuss Share Save Comment Text: PANAJI: Freedom fighters in Goa have raised strong objections to the listing of the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa and Fortress of Diu among the seven wonders of Portuguese origin in the world. Goa Freedom Fighters Association (GFFA) spokesman Naguesh Karmali said that Portugal had no business to say that either of the two historic architectural marvels were of Portuguese origin. "The laterite stone used to build the basilica was sourced from Goa. The limestone used to reinforce it was from Goa. The wood used for roof arches was from Goa. The Portuguese have no business saying these structures are Portguese in origin," he said. He also noted that forced labour - prisoners of the Inquisition - was used to build these monuments. "The labourers were indigenous, who worked till they dropped dead," Karmali said, adding that the GFFA had asked the state government to raise the matter with the central government. The Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa is a world heritage site listed by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural organisation (UNESCO). It contains the remains of Catholic saint Francis Xavier and attracts millions of devotees throughout the world each year. The seven wonders, selected through an internet and telephone vote and endorsed by the Portuguese government's ministry of culture, were made public June 10. The seven wonders of Portuguese origin, also include the fortress of Mazagao in Morocco, old town of Santiago in Cape Verde, convents of Saint Francis of Assisi and St. Francis in Brazil and the church of St. Paul in Macau. The GFFA comprises of nearly 1,500 freedom fighters, who fought the Portuguese colonial regime which ruled Goa for nearly 450 years, before it was liberated by the Indian army in 1961. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Freedom-fighters-protest-Goan-monuments-in-Portuguese-7-wonders-list/articleshow/4654604.cms