Until September 21, events will be held under the theme “Architectural Heritage: Windows to the Past. Doors to the Future,” according to the Cultural Heritage Institute (PC-IP), the coordinating entity in Portugal.
The program includes the public opening of the Architectural Heritage Archive at Forte de Sacavém, as well as hundreds of local initiatives by municipalities and associations, universities, research centers, museums, and other public and private entities.
The 2025 edition marks the 50th anniversary of the European Year of Architectural Heritage, launched in 1975 by the Council of Europe, and aims to highlight architecture as an artistic, technical, and identity witness, emphasizes PC-IP.
The objective is to raise public awareness about the importance of society’s involvement in the protection and appreciation of European cultural heritage.
From September 17 to 20, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, through PC-IP, will host “Cultural Heritage PRR: Enter the Work,” offering public access for the first time to the behind-the-scenes of 18 out of 85 interventions financed by the PRR, with a total investment of around 241 million euros in this sector.
The visits, which require prior registration and will take place in small groups, will be led by experts from the monuments and PC-IP’s Projects and Works Department, allowing the public to closely inspect conservation and restoration works, architecture, engineering, and archaeology efforts.
The program includes ongoing works in monuments listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, such as the Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon, the Convent of Christ in Tomar, and the Batalha Monastery.
Also planned are visits to PRR projects in national museums like the National Museum of Archaeology and the National Museum of Ancient Art in Lisbon, monuments such as Pinhel Castle, Tibães Monastery, and the Church of Nossa Senhora das Salvas in Sines, as well as National Theaters.
This marks the first major public disclosure of PRR Measure C04-i02-m01 (rehabilitation and conservation of museums, monuments, and public palaces and construction of the National Sound Archive) and PRR Measure C04-i02-m02 (rehabilitation of National Theaters), notes PC-IP.
The initiative receives support from the company Museus e Monumentos de Portugal, the Artistic Production Organization (OPART), the National Theater D. Maria II in Lisbon, the Lisbon Tourism Association, municipalities, and PRR project contractors.
In another part of the program, Forte de Sacavém will open the doors of the Architectural Heritage Archive on September 18, 19, and 20, offering access to “one of the most relevant national archival collections” through three lectures and two guided tours, all aligned with the EPH 2025 theme.
In addition to these actions, the European Heritage Days are celebrated across the country with hundreds of free activities promoted by cultural facilities under PC-IP and partner entities.
Involved locations include the Archaeological Area of Freixo, Tongobriga in Marco de Canaveses, the Roman Villa of Milreu in Faro, the Archaeological Site of São Cucufate in Vidigueira, Beja district, the Sanctuary of Panóias in Vila Real, Arouca Monastery in Aveiro district, Tibães Monastery in Braga, and Santa Clara-a-Velha Monastery in Coimbra.
The organization states that some activities require prior registration, but all have free entry.
The EPH, launched in 1999 as a joint initiative of the Council of Europe and the European Commission, is now the most celebrated and shared cultural event on the continent, with over 70,000 annual initiatives in more than 50 countries.
In 2024, the EPH was held under the theme “Routes, Networks, and Connections,” organizing around 500 activities throughout the country.
