By: CHRIS GRAEME
A MUSEUM commemorating the 623rd anniversary of the decisive Battle of Aljubarrota of August 14, 1385, is to open close to the original battle site.
Considered the most decisive battle in Portuguese medieval history, the Battle of Aljubarrota was won by the armies of King Dom João I who prevented Portugal’s annexation by the Kingdom of Castille, now part of present-day Spain.
The 10 million-euro museum or Battle of Aljubarrota Interpretation Centre, Centro de Interpretação da Batalha de Aljubarrota, has been installed in the completely restored and refurbished Military Museum at Porto de Mós, central Portugal.
The museum, which tells the story of the seminal battle on the Campo de São Jorge battlefield, and puts the victory in the context of Portuguese medieval history and its development as an independent sovereign state, will be officially opened on October 11.
The project incorporates the existing Battle of Aljubarrota Foundation, Fundação de Aljubarrota – FBA, in Porto de Mós with the aim of “safeguarding and valuing the heritage associated with the São Jorge Battlefield.”
It is hoped that the museum will attract close to 100,000 visitors a year within three years of opening.
Isabel Cordeiro, the Foundation’s Press Liaison Officer, said that the project’s idea was to “give both Portuguese and foreign visitors a better understanding of this pivotal event in Portuguese history.”
It is also hoped that the site will become “one of the most important cultural, historical and tourism attractions in the region as well as Portugal.”
Total investment in the project stands at around 10 million euros, of which five million has gone on the museum contents and five on the adaptation and re-construction of the existing building and landscaping the surrounding area.
The project is co-financed by various entities, including António Champalimaud, Banco Espírito Santo, and the Gulbenkian Foundation, as well as having received European Union Community Funds specifically destined for cultural programmes.
The museum, which covers an area of 1,900 square metres, is on the same site as the former Military Museum, Museu Militar, and intends to trace the reasons as to why the battle was won by the Portuguese.
The centre’s exhibition, which is divided into three sections, will include a film and other interactive multimedia which recreate the famous battle.
The first section explains the battle in terms of the archaeological finds uncovered at the site including the remains of weapons and armour.
It also contains a chronological frieze and electronic journal which runs around the walls to help visitors put themselves into the context of the battle and the events leading up to it.
The second section of the centre, considered the “high point of the visit” includes a film and giant images with sound, lights and special effects lasting 30 minutes and recreating the night of the battle.
This will include life-size and life like horses, soldiers, weapons, and other features to help recreate the battle.
The last part puts the events of the battle in the context of the times and explains what life was like in Portugal in the 14th century.
What: Battle of Aljubarrota Museum Centre
Where: Porto de Mós (A1 towards Leiria/A8 – Oeste/Marinha Grande/Monte Real/Ourém, and then IC2/EN1 to São Jorge exiting at 23 for Pataias/Porto de Mós.
When: From October 11, 2008
Site: www.fundacao-aljubarrota.pt (in English)
