House was meant to become a museum
A man from Braga has won a century-old house in the north of Portugal after buying a €5 raffle ticket from a local fire station.
The odd story dates back to 2003, when the house, located in the parish of Ligares, was left to the Humanitarian Association of Freixo de Espada à Cinta Firefighters, in the district of Bragança, by benefactor Veneranda Martins, who stated in her will that the house should be used as a museum for displaying items related to the local firefighting force, reports Lusa news agency.
Fast forward to 2020, and the museum had yet to be set up. In fact, the association decided, in its general assembly, to put the property up for sale, having announced in May 2021 that it was accepting bids.
This attempt to sell the 900sqm, with a 400sqm built area, property sparked a wave of protests among local residents, given that the association had been given the property under the pretence that the museum would be set up – which it never was.
The association explained that it did not have the financial means to carry out the necessary renovations, having reached another solution: to organise a raffle, charging €5 per ticket, with the property as the main prize.
The draw to decide the winner was carried out on Thursday, April 11, with the top prize going to a man from Braga, whose identity has been kept under wraps upon his request.
“I believe he has the capacity to provide a solution to this property,” the association’s president Edgar Gata told Lusa.
Two other prizes were also awarded: a week-long stay at a five-star hotel in Freixo de Espada à Cinta, and a box of 48 Douro wines.
