"The Museum of the Presidency of the Republic is located in the Belem Palace, in the parish of Santa Maria de Belem, municipality and district of Lisbon in Portugal.
Opened in October 5 of 2004, the exhibition combines traditional pieces of art linked to politicians who led the Portuguese government since 1910 with interactive systems of information and knowledge. The course of the visit begins with the Portuguese National Symbols and ends approach the powers, functions and activities of the Presidents of the country.
A film features original footage of the day's Republic Day and the main events of each year thereafter are shown by a tap on a computer screen, and the biography of each policy of Presidents, told in one-minute films and a half.
Through a virtual tour is to see the Palace of Belem.
Among the personal and symbolic objects on display include:
* the gun that accompanied Sidonio Pais, the president-king, as called by Fernando Pessoa in a poem;
* the monocle of Spinola;
* a small calendar used by Americo Tomas, and
* the watch of gold that belonged to Mendes Bridles.
As regards iconography, the highlights are the official portraits, painted by renowned artists such as Columbano Bordallo Pinheiro.
On Saturdays it is possible to visit some rooms in the Belem Palace and its gardens.
The Museum was awarded the Prize for Cultural Heritage European Union/Europa Nostra 2008, the research on the tangible and intangible heritage of the Palace of Belém, which enabled the design and production of the exhibition and book "From the Palace of Bethlehem"."
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"The idea behind creating the Presidential Museum was to bring the President closer to the citizens he represents by opening up the Belém Palace, his official residence, to the public. The long-lasting aims that the Museum seeks to fulfill are, therefore, cultural and civic.
Situated in the Belém Palace, the Museum strives to offer its visitors extensive and rigorous information about the presidential institution, its history and its office-holders. Use of innovative technological means allows for easy and interactive access to this information. We wanted to create a museum of contemporary, political and institutional history, which would also be an example of taking advantage of the new possibilities of spreading knowledge and divulging culture.
The Presidential Museum is not merely a static space of contemplation. It is also a centre for learning, investigating, publishing and cultural initiatives. The Website, the Digital Archive, the Virtual Museum, the Educational and Training Services and the many Cultural Extension activities are other initial, participative tools. This means that the Museum is an undertaking in progress and a dynamic project."
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