Lisbon’s iconic Tower of Belem and nine of its museums are currently closed, with re-opening set for mid-summer as contractors and curators race to complete renovations before losing funds from the EU NextGenerationEU fund.
Among the museums that are closed are major attractions including the Gulbenkian Museum, the Museum of Antique Art, the National Tile Museum, the National Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Coaches. They are scheduled to have their construction finished by May, giving curators two months to re-install collections before re-opening in July.
Local tourism officials have played down the effect of the closings, saying that it would not affect the flow of visitors, especially since many visitors had made plans before the abrupt closings were announced, and that sites such as the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology and the Jeronimos Monastery could fill the gap.
Cafe owners and others have disagreed with that estimate, and some have questioned why the work, which includes replacing outdated HVAC systems, structural and facade repairs and more, was started so close to the deadline that all had to close at once.
The actual fund deadline is August, but the government set the earlier deadlines when the museums closed in November, allowing a margin of safety.
