The elevator that connects Viana do Castelo with Monte de Santa Luzia, 650 meters long, “the largest in the country”, returns this Friday to go up and down to the homonymous sanctuary to celebrate its 100th anniversary.
Two carriages provide simultaneous travel from Viana do Castelo to Santa Luzia Hill with a vertical drop of 160 meters and an average gradient of 25% and back to the station in the city center.
For 15 years of operation, the funicular has transported more than 1.6 million passengers.
“Passengers can enjoy a real live, dynamic observatory. Rising up and down, we can observe the city, the historical center, the river and the Atlantic coast in motion. A unique scenic image that the city has to offer to those who visit,” Mayor Luis Nobre told Lusa this Friday.
The 100th anniversary celebration begins at 6:15 pm when two pieces of equipment resume their journey after 10 months of inactivity for repairs and recertification.
“Because it was so well taken care of, it lasted so long,” the mayor said next to the station, located on Monte de Santa Luzia, where one of the first carriages in use since 1923 was “musealized” to “protect the heritage “. value”, and “pride in the icon of the city”, and “demonstrate the importance that from day one” the elevator represents for the city.
His wagons are presented in a new way. The bright yellow of the city, which hitherto painted the carriages, became gold due to the importance of filigree to the city, with white details and Viana’s heart pattern so prized in regional costume. , as for the city, which many years ago made it the symbol of a phrase that has become part of the language of the inhabitants of Viana: “Who loves, he comes, who loves, stays.”
“This new look says a lot about our traditions and our identity,” Luis Nobre explained.
The Santa Luzia Elevator, owned by the municipality since 2005, which then invested more than $2.5 million to restore it, began operating in 2007.
The municipality recognizes its historical and historical value for the “arrival of the railway” in the municipality, tourism and the mission of “reducing carbon emissions in the urban environment”.
“Over 15 years of transportation, more than 1.6 million passengers have prevented an average of 100 cars a day from passing along the route between the two magnificent spaces of the city,” he stressed.
The equipment, which takes about eight minutes to cover the 650-meter track, was abandoned between 2001 and 2007.
There used to be “different management models”. Its operation was carried out by private individuals, then passed to the KP, which in 2005 agreed to transfer it to the municipal sphere.
Its construction is associated with Porto businessman and engineer Bernardo Pinto Abruños, grandfather of the singer Pedro Abruños, which was inaugurated on June 2, 1923 by the Empresa do Elevador de Santa Lucía.
For Luis Nobre, this is also a historical indication of the “strong initiative” of civil society at the time.
“We have other examples as well. The Municipal Theater of Sa de Miranda and all the most significant architectural heritage in the city. Civil society has always wanted to build and influence the evolution of the city. A legacy that we eventually accepted as common, ”he said.
With a capacity of 25 people, 12 seated and 13 standing, the funicular also allows the transport of bicycles so that cyclists can go up to Santa Luzia and get around on the existing mountain trails.
The Santa Luzia lift has three different power sources (electric, generator and battery) and four braking systems, and safety is one of the characteristics of the renovation.
This equipment is one of the ways to gain access to the sanctuary. From the dome at the top of the temple, the highest point of Viana do Castelo, visitors can see the landscape for several kilometers.
In addition to car access, the top of Santa Lucia can also be reached by climbing over 700 steps via stairs almost parallel to the elevator.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.