Lisbon, Aug. 1, 2024 (Lusa) - The government said on Thursday that free entry to state-run museums, monuments, and palaces is no longer restricted to Sundays and public holidays. As of today, you can choose 52 days a year of free access.

The measure, which only covers Portuguese nationals and residents in Portugal and will allow for the management of visitor flows, was explained to journalists today by the minister of culture, Dalila Rodrigues, at the Ajuda Palace in Lisbon, putting into practice a decision she had revealed in May.

As of today, what changes is that Portuguese citizens and residents will have 52 days a year, any day of the week, to visit the 37 museums, monuments and palaces under public supervision free of charge. Until now, free visits were only available on Sundays and public holidays, a system that came into force in September 2023.

‘Freedom is complete. We can visit any day of the week. Free visits, which until now have been limited to Sundays and public holidays, now have full freedom of action and choice. There is no reason why the Portuguese and residents of Portugal should not visit our museums and monuments,' up to a limit of 52 days, the minister said today.

To enssure they have access to these spaces, visitors must present their citizen's card at the ticket offices for registration, so that the 52-day limit can be counted in a central database.

The minister herself, the secretary of state for culture, Maria de Lurdes Craveiro, and the president of the company that oversees the 37 cultural centres (Museus e Monumentos de Portugal), Alexandre Pais, quickly registered at the ticket office of the Ajuda National Palace.

As the measure comes into force today, 1 August, the 2024 free admission period will only last 22 days until the end of the year. However, it allows you to visit various museums, monuments, and palaces on each chosen day.

SS/ADB // ADB.

Lusa