Credit: Ponto PT
The Aristides de Sousa Mendes Museum, located in Cabanas de Viriato (municipality of Carregal do Sal), is set to become a national museum.
The PAN proposal was unanimously approved on November 27 in Parliament, alongside the reimbursement of over €1.5 million to the Carregal do Sal Chamber for expenses incurred in the requalification of Casa do Passal, which houses the museum.
The museum, inaugurated in July this year after a €3.5 million investment, honors the legacy of the former consul and his heroic act of saving thousands of Jews during the Holocaust in World War II.
In its proposal, PAN suggested that the government provide the necessary technical support to the Carregal do Sal municipality and the Aristides de Sousa Mendes Foundation to grant the museum national status and integrate it into the Portuguese Museum Network.
National museums, including the Grão Vasco Museum in Viseu, offer free admission 52 days a year to residents of Portugal. This measure came into effect in August this year.
Paulo Catalino, the mayor of Carregal do Sal, stated that the two parliamentary approvals regarding the Aristides de Sousa Mendes Museum are “of utmost importance” for the municipality and represent “the culmination of awareness efforts” with parliamentary parties.
Catalino also noted that he personally went to Parliament to request all parliamentary groups to ensure that, within the Budget, additional funds could be allocated for a project that represents both a national and international mission.
Parliament also approved PAN’s proposal to transfer approximately €1.5 million to the Carregal do Sal Chamber as reimbursement for the expenses related to Casa do Passal. This was one of the amendments to the 2025 State Budget that most directly affected the Viseu district.
Additionally, a proposal from PSD and CDS-PP was approved, urging the government to evaluate the financial and logistical needs identified during the development of the Casa do Passal Requalification and Musealization Project.
Source: Jornal do Centro
