Eng. António de Almeida Foundation

Category: Civil Architecture > Foundation

District: Porto > Porto > Porto > Bessa

History

- Founded in 1969 by the will of Eng. António de Almeida.

- Eng. António de Almeida, a native of Vila Real, became a prominent banker and businessman.

- The presidency of the Foundation passed to Dr. Fernando Aguiar-Branco in 1973.

- Awarded the degree of Honorary Member of the Order of Infante D. Henrique in 1994.

Activities

- The Foundation's Museum exhibits collections of furniture, goldsmithing, textiles, porcelain, paintings, clocks and watches, and coins.

- A valuable numismatic collection with gold coins of various origins stands out.

- The House-Museum maintains the atmosphere of a family home, according to the founder's wishes.

- The Foundation promotes cultural activities such as colloquia, conferences, exhibitions, and music recitals in the Auditorium.

International Contributions

- The Foundation donated statues of cultural figures to foreign cities, such as Fernando Pessoa in Durban, São Paulo, and Brussels.

- In the city of Porto, it donated statues of Guilhermina Suggia, D. António Ferreira Gomes, Abel Salazar, and a statue of the Portuguese Republic.

Education and Culture

- The Foundation promotes personalist humanism, encouraging virtues such as courage, work, honesty, and tolerance.

- It establishes the "Eng. António de Almeida" prize for graduates with a grade above 16 out of 20.

- It offers school prizes at various universities and publishes theses and works of literature, art, sociology, and history.

- It donated more than 250,000 books and magazines to national and international libraries.

Impact on Society and Culture

- The Eng. António de Almeida Foundation plays a crucial role in promoting culture, science, and justice, both in Portugal and internationally.

- It supports conferences, colloquia, exhibitions, and collaborates with UNESCO and other research centers.

- It contributes to the cultural and scientific education of Portuguese university youth through the Eng. António de Almeida Prize.

Sources: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundação_Eng._António_de_Almeida

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt