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O Field of onions, in Lisbon, will be renamed Largo José Saramago, as the executive of Fernando Medina wanted. The proposal of the councilor of the PS Catherine Vaz Pinto was approved this Wednesday afternoon during a meeting of the room with the favorable vote of the PS, the PCP and the Bloc of left, in spite of the vote against PSD and CDS.
Councilman João Pedro Costa explained that the PSD had voted against because the name of Largo José Saramago was attributed to the field of onions "consubstantiated a lack of respect for the history and memory of the city the name of José Saramago does not deserve to be associated. "The Municipality of Lisbon recalled in its proposal that the author's foundation was there and that it was favorable opinion of the Commission de toponymie and the parish council.
The PSD has a long history of war against José Saramago. The most media-related episode occurred in 1992 when António Sousa Lara, Secretary of State for Culture of Cavaco Silva, refused to nominate the writer for the European Literary Award, which which led Saramago to a symbolic "exile" on the island of Lanzarote, Spain. Another time came in 2009, when Saramago published the book "Cain" and that the MEP Mario David was "ashamed" to be his countryman and urged him to give up the Portuguese nationality .
In this case, the PSD does not question the value of Saramago and even accepts to have more honors. In the voting statement, Councilor João Pedro Costa – the only one of the PSD to sit in the plenary session due to the absence of Teresa Leal Coelho, who works for the state budget – admits that the Writer is "a great name of Portuguese culture and literature., An unmissable reference of literature throughout the world, and as such, deserves the attribution of its name to a street, a square or a garden of the city of LisbonHowever, João Pedro Costa says that if the name of the Field of Onions is removed – the Casa dos Bicos, headquarters of the José Saramago Foundation, and an Oliveira in honor of the writer – is committed.
The architect and councilman explains that "the name Campo das Cebolas dates back centuries and has been around for centuries, and is mentioned in documents before the earthquake of 1755, as well as in letters the remodeling of the post-earthquake parachute (1770) and Filipe Folque (1858) ". According to the city councilor, there are still "references that link the origin of the place name to local trade and vegetables since the end of the 15th century, when the Terreiro do Paço market was transferred to Ribeira Velha 1. "
The municipality of Lisbon has in its favor a "favorable opinion "of the Municipal Commission of toponymy of November 9, 2018, which allows the name of José Saramago to be named "Largo between the Avenue Infante Dom Henrique and Rua dos Bacalhoeiros". avoided the designation of field of onions, but like the proposal, it is possible to verify that it is the field of onions.
The area called Largo José Saramago, according to the proposal of the executive of Fernando Medina.
The executive headed by Fernando Medida also stated that "the parish council of Santa Maria Maior" had been "heard under the provisions of Article 1 of the Municipal Position on Toponymy and Numbering of Police Officers" and "expressed his full agreement". The social-junta is led by socialist Miguel Coelho and the executive is mainly composed of PS elements.
The proposal of Catarina Vaz Pinto is justified by the fact that José Saramago is "the only Nobel Prize for Portuguese literature" and "a personality of enormous intellectual, artistic and human dimension". It is also noted that he "resisted the dictatorship of Estado Novo in the ranks of the Portuguese Communist Party since 1969 and after April 25" and that the writer "produced a vast literary work that , besides novels, includes news, chronicles, diaries., travel literature, children's literature, plays, poetry. "In addition, it highlights the same document",Lisbon still hosts the Foundation that bears his name at Casa dos Bicos since 2012."
The arguments of the executive are not enough to convince the PSD that it has not been practical to give the name to give the streets, squares or the wider sense the name of the city. homonymous correspondent institution located in the street. He emphasizes that the space "has no connection with José Saramago's life in Lisbon". Councilor João Pedro Costa even advanced the argument that José Saramago "deserved" a name from another area recognized by the population and not that "This designation is forgotten, even unknown, behind another historical designation. consolidated in the life of the city and its customs. "
The PSD recalls that there are "several examples where this option to change the designation of traditional place names did not go well" and eventually devalued the personalities who wanted to pay tribute. Indeed, people have chosen to refer to already popular names. And give examples:
- Rossio Square / Dom Pedro Square IV
- Praça do Areeiro / Praça Francisco Sá Carneiro
- Largo do Caldas Largo Adelino Amaro da Costa
- Terreiro do Paço / Praça do Comercio
For João Pedro Costa, "it does not make sense" to change the name of the Onion Field, in the same sense that would not do names such as Rua do Ouro, Rua da Prata, Rua dos Fanqueiros or Largo do Chafariz del Rei. thus, the city's policy is to preserve its historical memory in toponymy, because it marks the continuity of the centenary of many of its spaces and the way in which they have evolved over time, thus preserving its original use and meaning.
And this is part of, according to João Pedro Costa, the designation of the "Campos" of Lisbon, such as the Campo Grande, the Campo de Ourique or the Field of Onions which "keep alive the memory of the agrarian occupations and the surroundings or outdoor spaces of Lisbon. "
The CDS also voted against the proposal.
Updated at 19:00 with the result of the vote in the meeting.
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