An initiative aims to encourage young people’s access to heritage and culture, providing an opportunity for direct contact with some of the emblematic sites of Portuguese history and identity, the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sports states on its website.
The MMP currently manages 37 museums and monuments spread across 21 cities and towns from north to south in the country. This includes sites classified as World Heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), such as the Jerónimos Monastery and the Belém Tower in Lisbon, the Batalha Monastery, the Alcobaça Monastery, and the Convent of Christ in Tomar.
In the capital, young people can also visit for free the National Museum of Ancient Art, the National Tile Museum, the National Coach Museum, the National Museum of Archaeology, and the National Museum of Contemporary Art – Chiado Museum, among others.
Outside Lisbon, they will also have free entry to the National Machado de Castro Museum in Coimbra, the National Grão Vasco Museum in Viseu, the National Soares dos Reis Museum in Porto, the National Frei Manuel do Cenáculo Museum in Évora, the Alberto Sampaio Museum in Guimarães, and the Abade de Baçal Museum in Bragança, among others.
The network overseen by the MMP also includes palaces of great historical and patrimonial value such as the Ajuda National Palace in Lisbon, the Mafra National Palace, the Dukes of Braganza Palace in Guimarães, and the Biscainhos Palace in Braga.
According to the MMP, this action aims to “reinforce the role of the network of museums and monuments as a cultural and educational resource, promoting knowledge, enjoyment, and appreciation of national heritage among younger generations.”
The covered sites offer diverse experiences ranging from ancient to contemporary art, archaeology to ethnology, tilework to monumental architecture, and military and political history.
International Youth Day, observed annually on August 12, was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1999, aiming to highlight the challenges and potential of younger generations.
