FROM MONUMENT TO MOVEMENT: 12 MONTHS TRANSFORMING THROUGH CULTURE
Between June 2024 and June 2025, Portugal’s Northern Region witnessed the birth of a new centre for culture, education, and reflection: the Monastery of Leça do Balio. Renovated under the vision of Álvaro Siza Vieira and Sidónio Pardal, this national monument was returned to the community, now reborn as a place of encounter between heritage, contemporary art, and critical thinking.
Throughout its first year, the Monastery welcomed over 25,000 visitors, hosted dozens of cultural events, and launched educational projects with a real impact on the region.
The exhibition Act The Thought – Act with Thought, developed in partnership with UNESCO, set the tone: placing misinformation at the heart of public debate. Nationally and internationally acclaimed, the show included works such as ALEA, by Diana Policarpo, and INsideout – engaging more than 1,200 participants in a collective exercise of critical awareness.
Through the project ACRESCER – Growing Along the Way of Art, we are walking the Camino de Santiago with new purpose: supporting young people at risk of school dropout, using art, self-awareness, and belonging as tools for empowerment.
At the same time, we have built and strengthened alliances with universities, museums, municipalities, and international entities – expanding our reach and weaving networks around culture, inclusion, and education.
Another symbolic gesture was the acquisition of the artwork The Descent from the Cross, by Domingos Sequeira, now part of the collection of the National Museum Soares dos Reis — a clear statement of commitment to Portuguese artistic heritage and its public access.
And the year doesn’t end here. In 2025, we will launch two new milestones: the Garden of Philosophy and Thought, a four-hectare trail where one thinks with their feet on the ground and eyes to the infinite; and the exhibition PEOPLE IN MOTION, dedicated to migration and human mobility, opening in September.
These 12 months show that culture can be both a starting point and a meeting place. It can transform places, connect people, and inspire futures. The impact belongs to the region. And the future starts here.