Azores
Date of Issue: 9th May 2025
one stamp (1.21 €) and one souvenir-sheet (3.51 €)
Colubrina by Joham Diaz (Santo António Fort, Angra do Heroísmo, Terceira Island)
With the collaboration of the Museum of Angra do Heroísmo, we have selected what is considered to be the oldest bronze mouthpiece made in Portugal by Joham Diaz, a master foundryman under King Joao III, and taken from the waters of Angra Bay in 1972. This element of the Museum's collection, which has already been proposed for classification as a National Treasure, illustrates the important role of Angra do Heroísmo, Terceira Island and the Azores archipelago in the history of the Atlantic and navigations, as well as in political, economic and social relations, in times of peace and war, between the three continents - Europe, Africa and America - from their discovery and settlement to the present day.
The selection of this cultural asset also recognises the fundamental role of underwater archaeology in Portugal. In the Azores, the work of this scientific discipline has been decisive in obtaining a clearer picture of the strategic importance of the city and ocean port of Angra do Heroísmo - whose Historic Centre was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 - especially throughout the 16th and 17th centuries.
Thanks to the recognition of the importance of underwater cultural heritage, it was possible to create, by decree of the Regional Government in 2005, an Underwater Archaeological Park, made up of several dozen shipwrecks. In this veritable underwater museum, the sea holds and preserves for the future, and for the observation of visitors-divers, archaeological testimonies and remains of great wealth.
