The Regional Secretary for Education, Culture and Science revealed today that the Boqueirão Factory located on the island of Flores will open to the public shortly after the completion of the restoration works; the museum's programme is at a completion stage.

"This factory marks the westernmost point of whaling history in the Azores", Luiz Fagundes Duarte stressed considering the initiative as "interesting" because it evokes the history of the whaling industry in the Region and its importance for the Azorean economy.

The Boqueirão Factory is part of Flores Museum. According to the Regional Secretary, it comprises a centre dedicated to "the island's history, featuring several objects that have been recovered" as well as a modern centre that "evokes the recent history of the whaling industry, an activity that had a significant impact on the island's economy."

Speaking at the end of a visit to Flores Museum, which is part of the Regional Network of Museums, Luiz Fagundes Duarte also highlighted the fact that this museum, like many other places in the Azores, preserves "the memories of the island," recalling that "Flores was one of the gateways to the Region."

In fact, the island "was the first port of call first call before arriving to the European continent. This historical and geographical reality left its mark on the island's culture as well as on the identity of Flores islanders," underlined the government official.

For the Regional Secretary, the Flores Museum "is the island as a whole." This space comprises two centres that also serve as interpretation centres; they are not just a space that stores pieces, but a space that displays a set of pieces that depict the island's history and its reality."

In addition, a photography exhibition was also opened today, which, according to the Regional Secretary, "draws the attention to a very important aspect concerning the history of Flores Island - the whaling industry."

The exhibition consists of 24 photographs by António Lopes and will be open to the public until late summer at the Flores Museum.