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Texto em português mais abaixo.
The Liceu de São Vicente (secondary school or high school of Mindelo, São Vicente Island, Cape Verde) was the most important educational and cultural institution of colonial Cape Verde or perhaps of the whole former Portuguese Africa.
The first liceu in São Vicente (i.e. Mindelo city) was created in 1917 by senator Vera-Cruz, who offerred his own house for accommodating the school (that's the building in Praça Nova, opposite the post office, which later housed the Grémio, the Rádio Barlavento and lately the Centro de Artesanato; it's being restored now). Senador Vera-Cruz is now honored in the name of one of the main streets of Mindelo. Vera-Cruz's intitution was named Liceu Infante D. Henrique. In 1937 it was transferred to the building of this photo and renamed Liceu Gil Eanes.
For years, during the Portuguese rule in the XX century, the Liceu Gil Eanes was a hub of education in Cape Verde; teenagers from all islands came to São Vicente to study in the Liceu da Pracinha do Palácio (one of its nicknames). From here, many were prepared to the universities in Portugal and many more formed the core of the colonial public servants, who were appointed to the other colonies of the Portuguese Empire all over the world. Famous teachers and outstanding students of the Liceu Gil Eanes include important individuals of the Portuguese language culture, such as Baltasar Lopes da Silva, António Aurélio Gonçalves, Teixeira de Sousa, Gabriel Mariano, Amilcar Cabral, Abilio Duarte, among many others.
After independence, the name was changed to Liceu Jorge Barbosa, honoring a former employee of the Liceu and an outstanding student. Now it is also known as Liceu Bedje (in Creole) or Liceu Velho (in Portuguese) (Old High School). Nowadays it houses a department of the Ministry of Education. It's being restored, as you see on the façade, to preserve this major landmark of the Cape-Verdean and Portuguese culture.
In the workshops there is other point of view of the façade and a nocturnal view of it. The night view was taken during a serenata in the pracinha, as part of a meeting of former alumni of Liceu Gil Eanes.
The Liceu is located behind the former Palácio do Governador, as you can see in the picture Mindelo Palace.
Location / Localização: 16.8864064, -24.9859571.
Antigo Liceu Gil Eanes na cidade do Mindelo, ilha de São Vicente de Cabo Verde. Aqui foram formados grandes vultos da cultura luso-cabo-verdiana, assim como os funcionários coloniais que se espalharam por todos os territórios do império.