The director of the Convento de Cristo anticipates the availability of the cloisters, which were the subject of interventions funded by the PRR, for September, and the Terreiro de Armas for October. The president of Cultural Heritage informed that the project underwent reformulations to ensure the safeguarding of the monument.
In statements given to Lusa, Andreia Galvão, director of the Convento de Cristo, highlighted that the relevance of a monument transcends the PRR period, emphasizing the need to maintain the valuation and preservation of the Convent and to revitalize the restored space through new projects after the completion of the works.
The Convento de Cristo, classified as a World Heritage Site and located in Tomar, in the district of Santarém, initially received an input of 5.2 million euros from the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR). This funding was intended for the rehabilitation of the Henriquino Palace, Alcáçova/Castle, garden, and the cloisters.
Andreia Galvão specified that the cloisters of Santa Bárbara, D. João III, and Lavagem will be fully accessible to the visiting circuit this month. The completion of work in the Terreiro de Armas is scheduled for October. The director clarified that the last work monitoring meeting took place on August 31, when processes were being closed and final adjustments were made regarding the work executed within the timeframe established by the PRR.
However, there are ongoing activities, such as those in the Pátio da Botica, which, according to Andreia Galvão, exceed the PRR deadline. She estimates that these current interventions will be completed by the end of the year.
João Soalheiro, president of Cultural Heritage, explained to Lusa that the initial plan needed to be modified during its execution, especially concerning the Henriquino Palace. He mentioned that the originally proposed itinerary had to be corrected midway.
Soalheiro reported that a contract for the Henriquino Palace, valued at approximately four million euros, needed to be shortened. According to him, certain planned solutions proved incompatible with the heritage characteristics that were later identified.
The official stated that at that time, they realized that proceeding with the contracted project would result in the destruction of heritage. He stressed that this did not stem from flawed planning, but rather from an initial 'superficial' knowledge of the monument's characteristics, notably due to the absence of archaeological participation.
As an example, he cited an area where there was a plan to install an elevator for accessibility reasons, but which turned out to belong to one of the oldest parts of the building, dating back to the 15th century. For this reason, it was necessary to step back, adopting a heritage posture of re-evaluation and recalibration of the situation.
Soalheiro detailed that the renovation of the cloisters of Santa Bárbara and D. João III represents more than 1.7 million euros, while the work in the Claustro da Lavagem, Henriquino Palace, and Terreiro de Armas totals more than 1.5 million euros. The Pátio da Botica will cost about 400 thousand euros and aims to enable the closing of the visiting circuit with greater quality and guarantees.
Cultural Heritage did not disclose to Lusa the final total cost of the PRR at the Convento de Cristo, considering the changes made to the initial budget of 5.2 million euros. The institute clarified that meeting the August 31 deadline does not mean that all contracts in each structure are fully finalized on that date.
João Soalheiro added that the European goal required the completion of 'main works' in 81 museums, monuments, and palaces, as well as in the three national theaters involved, estimating that the remaining PRR actions will finish by the end of the year.
In addition to the PRR, there are plans for other improvements at the Convento de Cristo, including the museumization of the ground floor of the Claustro da Lavagem, scheduled for early 2027. Andreia Galvão informed that this new core will integrate part of the collection gathered by the Union of Friends of the Monuments of the Order of Christ (UAMOC), composed of funerary and monographic items, as well as sculptural and architectural elements specific to the monument.
The installation of scenic lighting in the Chapter Window is also planned, and the artistic lighting design for the Charola and the Manueline Nave should be completed soon, with these latter interventions not being covered under the scope of the PRR.