1 . Views of the Museu Nacional Resistência e Liberdade – Peniche Fortress from outside the grounds | Photo by R . Conesa
The Campaign
In September 2016 , the Peniche Fortress lost its status as a protected historical monument , paving the way for its possible conversion into a private hotel resort . The recent transformation of the headquarters of the dictatorship ’ s political police ( PIDE / DGS ) on Rua António Maria Cardoso in Lisbon into a luxury condominium was still fresh in people ’ s minds . The immediate reaction of antifascist groups and former political prisoners , who gathered thousands of signatures and organised mass meetings to halt the process , was crucial . On 29 October of that year , more than 600 people gathered at the fortress to approve the ‘ Call to the Government in Defence of Peniche Fortress as a Symbol of Repression and the Struggle Against Fascism ’. Soon after , the government of António Costa reversed its decision , and the Ministry of Culture set up a commission to address the future of the site . On 27 April 2017 , the Council of Ministers , meeting at the fortress , approved Resolution 73 / 2017 , dedicated to the restoration of the fortress and the
creation of a national museum . Throughout the process , the involvement and drive of associations such as the União de Resistentes Antifascistas Portugueses ( Union of Portuguese Antifascist Resistance Fighters - URAP ), which includes many former Peniche political prisoners , was essential .
In September 2017 , shortly before the start of the restoration work , the monument Homenaje a los Presos Políticos en la Fortaleza de Peniche (‘ Tribute to Political Prisoners at Peniche Fortress ’), created by sculptor José Aurélio , was inaugurated at the initiative of the Peniche Municipal Council and URAP . From then on , the various construction phases , public tenders , and museological and architectural projects to enhance the fortress would take place . In the April 2019 commemorations , the first phase of the National Museum of Resistance and Freedom was inaugurated , but the site , with its various visitable spaces , memorial sites , and exhibitions , would not be completed and officially opened until April 2024 .
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