The procedure opened in 2019 for classifying the National Stadium, in Jamor, as a National Heritage, was the subject of “challenge” by the Oeiras City Council and contested by the Silcoge construction company. Now, “until the end of the judicial procedure, it will not be possible to determine how the procedure will evolve,” as the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage (DGPC) told DN, guaranteeing that the fence was “in the process of classification stays “.
The battle has been going on for more than 10 years. It was in 2012 that the now defunct Liga dos Amigos do Jamor presented the project to classify the 230 hectares of the sports complex of Jamor to the DGPC. This time there was no response. In 2014 he tried again and again silence was the answer. In 2016, the project entered the “study phase” and just three years later, in 2019, the nationwide classification procedure was opened for the Estádio de Honra, the central tennis court, outbuildings and woods, integrated into the National Sports Complex. administered by the Instituto Português da Juventude. And soon it was the target of a “hierarchical appeal” filed by the municipality of Oeiras, which contested the Special Interim Protection Area. Therefore, the law was partially repealed in 2020, according to the DGPC.
Clarifying that it is not against the classification, even expressing “the will and total availability in the procedure”, the municipality headed by Isaltino Morais justified to the DN that the area was “excessively demarcated”, so “it was enough to establish a general protection zone of 50 meters”. For this reason, they asked for a redefinition of the boundaries of the area to be classified, to exclude the areas necessary for the infrastructures already designed.
The truth is that the process is really at a standstill. After the municipal contest, the challenge followed. “It would be expected and desirable that the respective classification had already been completed. However, Silcoge, promoter of the Porto Cruz subdivision – suspended by action of the prosecution – contested the action to open the classification process, and the respective process is still ongoing always a legal process,” José Catela of the Let’s Save Jamor Association told DN.
And according to the DGPC explained to DN, that the “administrative action of challenge is contradicted by the Center for Legal Powers of the State”. The same entity that was “surprised” in 2020 by the lack of alignment with the Câmara de Oeiras, stressing that it was clear that the exclusion of the municipality would always result “in difficulties in carrying out the classification process”.
Despite this recommendation, the municipality guarantees that it “has not yet received any initiative in this regard”. And it may take some time to get involved, since the Minister of Culture, Pedro Adão e Silva, in addition to the disputed process, announced a few days ago a restructuring of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage, which will inevitably delay the outcome of the case. According to the DGPC, “However, it is important to point out that the National Stadium (Honorary Stadium, central tennis court, outbuildings and forests) remains in the classification process and enjoys a general protection zone of 50 meters”.
But for the Associação Vamos Salva o Jamor, which succeeded the Liga dos Amigos do Jamor in its mission to “defend Jamor against the hunger for real estate that have constantly tried to mutilate it” and that the delay is strange: “Being slow most of the time the heritage classification processes, that of the municipality of Oeiras are particularly time-consuming, with the Palacete and Quinta de Santa Sofia in the classification process, since 2012 the Quinta de Recreio dos Marqueses de Pombal, since 2014 the church and convent of Cartuxa since 2019.. .”
fascist masterpiece
The subject of Jamor’s classification has always been controversial. For many, the National Stadium is a masterpiece of fascist architecture. Inspired by the old Olympic Stadium in Berlin, the design of the fence began in 1933, but the first stone was not laid until 1938. It was finally inaugurated on June 10, 1944 – National Race Day at the time and today Portugal Day, from Camões and the Portuguese Communities – by the President of the Republic Óscar Carmona and by the President of the Council (similar to that of Prime Minister) António Oliveira Salazar.
The ceremony, according to DN at the time, was “a great national affirmation of optimism, discipline and beauty”. The party ended with a Benfica-Sporting match, which the Lions won 3-2. Since 1946, with few exceptions, it has hosted the final of the Portuguese Cup and in 1967 it hosted the European Cup final, in which Celtic defeated Inter Milan. It has since become a sacred place for Scottish fans, who make annual pilgrimages.
It was only later that the complex was given the spaces it has today, namely the swimming pool, high-performance center, tennis center, football and rugby fields, residence for athletes, next to the stadium and training center and to serve the population for sports practice.
Assignments to federations
In the future, temporary concessions may be made to some federations, such as rugby and athletics. And, in the case of the National Stadium, to the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF). “The government has been evaluating the issue, namely with the FPF and also with other federations, hoping that soon news will come about the project for the National Stadium, which will also open it for more effective participation in other sports,” a government source told DN, without specifying when and in what ways this could be done.
One thing is certain: the classification as a national monument does not stand in the way of future concessions for use and exploration, according to the DGCP.
Source: DN
