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Forum Olivença Manifesto Portugal OlivencaOnline Informação Olivença Campanha por Olivença Imigrantes The 'Conqueror' of Olivença is commemorated in Spain On 3-6 October (2001) an 'International Congress' was held at Badajoz, Castuera and Olivença, promoted by the University of Extremadura, with the support of the 'Junta de Extremadura', the 'Deputación of Badajoz' and the three boroughs, and also had the sponsorship of the Spanish Department of Education. The holding of this event coincided with the 150th anniversary of the death of Manuel Godoy, and also with the 200th anniversary of the incorporation of Olivença by Spain, as a result of the 'War of the Oranges' and the Treaty of Badajoz of 1801. There had been a plan by the Extremadura government and the authorities in Olivença to hold a joint commemoration between Portugal and Spain, of the 200 years of the Treaty of Badajoz and the annexation of Olivença, which would have counted with the presence of the King of Spain and the President of the Portuguese Republic, similar to what happened in 1997, in the celebration of the 700 years of the signing of the Treaty of Alcanizes. The expected refusal from the Presidency of the Republic previously alerted by the Grupo dos Amigos de Olivença foiled such a plan. The Olivença borough not having organised any commemoration of the 200 years of the annexation of Olivença, the 'Congress' was the only official event alluding to this occurrence in which this district participated side by side with the Extremadura government. The main objective by the Congress, according to the organisers, consisted of a "critical revision of Manuel Godoy's personality, as well as his political work in government" In the Congress participated about 100 historians from France, Italy, Poland, Portugal and various Spanish universities. Despite the attempt to rehabilitate the figure of Godoy, the problematic proposal to build a statue in his honour in Olivença continues unresolved. In 1994, after Portugal's Foreign Affairs Office had vetoed Spanish participation in the rebuilding of the 'Nossa Senhora da Ajuda' bridge that linked Elvas to Olivença, because of the diplomatic contention involving this town, the local authorities suspended the projected placing of a statue in honour of Frei Henrique de Coimbra, Bishop of Ceuta, who resided in Olivença, and decided instead to put up a statue in honour of Manuel Godoy. To date the project has not moved forward, and the bad reputation which affects this historic personage is a fact which is not new in Olivença as well as in Spain, and is what they now seek to rehabilitate. Source of text: Dr Mário Rodrigues