The government delegate in Extremadura, José Luis Quintana, has participated today in Mérida in the commemorative events of the Constitution Day where he has highlighted the importance of the protection and conservation of the historical, cultural and artistic heritage.
This year, the event organized by the Government Delegation took place in the Church of Santa Clara, a building from the beginning of the 17th century that today houses the Museum of Visigothic Art. There, a group of schoolchildren read Article 46 of the Magna Carta which states that "the public authorities shall guarantee the conservation and promote the enrichment of the historical, cultural and artistic heritage of the peoples of Spain and of the goods that make up it, whatever their legal regime and ownership. The criminal law will sanction attacks against this heritage."
In her speech, Quintana pointed out the enormous value of our nation’s historical and cultural heritage in keeping alive the past that unites and identifies us, while helping to teach different generations where we come from and how we become what we are. "It is necessary to protect our heritage, not only because of its intrinsic value, which is a great deal; but also because it is our obligation to pass it on to future generations in the best possible condition. In some cases, such as the city that welcomes us, Mérida, the work of conservation and recovery of the heritage is an admirable example, because in addition to that conservation and recovery, it has been able to integrate a good part of this heritage into the daily lives of citizens and, as we have seen, bring knowledge of it and its protection to the youngest," he said.
As a historical reference, the government delegate recalled that the Constitution is the maximum document that, from the consensus, contributes to regulate "our common life and our progress" from its articulation, "protecting all our rights and fixing our duties" from a majority agreement that must always be respected in its entirety. For that reason, Quintana has alluded to the fact that "knowing our past, preserving it and putting it in value, is endorsing and protecting the truth of what we were, of what past generations were and did."
Finally, the government delegate thanked the City Council of Mérida, the Consortium of the City of Mérida, for their collaboration, as well as the participation of schoolchildren of the 5th year of Primary Education of the Trajan Public School.