"Find the Trunk"

Dear Mr. Secretary of Culture Francisco José Viegas

As you are very much aware, as a former director of the Fernando Pessoa House in Lisbon, Fernando Pessoa's Trunk, commonly known as the "Arca", was sold at auction in November of 2008, to an unknown collector, of which we only known he resided in the North of Portugal.

At the time the governement was not able or willing to bid for the trunk, as it did bid for so many other documents, also of great importance. Many of us were amazed by this, that such an important and symbolic piece of our country's history could vanish without even an attempt to save it. We believe that many items are safe in private collections, and there preserved for future generations by diligent owners, but such an item as the trunk does not belong, in our opinion, in a private collection, far away from the eyes of the public.

The "Arca", as a natural treasure belongs in a public exhibition, side by side with other important memories of our past days. These memories are what embody the Portuguese soul, and without them, without memory, man is nothing - and our identity suffers from this loss, Mr. Secretary. You, specially you, can understand this, being a man of culture and someone who appreciated great literature.

We then urge you to act. To inquire who bough the trunk and procure a way to get it back to public ownership. We offer you all our help in this matter, but urge you first and foremost to show us that you believe in such a mission, that your name can stand beside ours in this international petition.

Assinem!