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For this 24th edition, with 73 films on the programme, the "Festa do Cinema Francês" will open in Lisbon on 5 October 2023. There will also be screenings in 8 other cities: Almada, Porto, Faro, Coimbra, Oeiras, Lagos, Viseu and Évora. This event is organised by the production company Jangada, in collaboration with the French Embassy, the French Institute of Portugal and the network of Alliances françaises in Portugal. The 2023 programme includes national premieres of works recently produced in France, as well as a wide selection of films never before shown in Portuguese cinemas. 🍿 Cities, dates and cinemas where the films will be shown: 📍Lisbon 5-15 October: Cinema São Jorge - projection of 55 films 17-20 October: Cinema NOS Amoreiras November: Portuguese Cinematheque-Cinema Museum. 📍Almada 10-14 October: Fernando Lopes-Graça auditorium. 📍Porto 17-20 October: Cinema NOS Alameda 24 October 20:30: Batalha Centro de Cinema 24-28 October: Rivoli Theatre 26-31 October: Cinema Trindade. 📍Faro 18-21 October: Cinema NOS Forum Algarve. 📍Coimbra 18-21 October: TAGV. 📍Oeiras 19-22 October: Auditorium Municipal Eunice Muñoz 25-28 October: Cinema NOS Oeiras. 📍Lagos 25-28 October: Municipal Library. 📍Viseu 25-28 October : Cinema NOS Viseu. 📍Évora 25-28 October : Cinema NOS Évora Plaza. 📽 For details of the programme and practical information, visit the festival's dedicated website: www.festadocinemafrances.com

On 13 July 2023, Portugal's Minister of Culture, Pedro Adão e Silva, announced the introduction of free access to state-run museums, palaces and monuments on Sundays and public holidays (all day), exclusively for residents in Portugal (i.e. Portuguese nationals and foreigners legally resident in the country). 🗓 This new rule came into force on 1 September 2023 and applies to the list of Museums and Monuments available for consultation on the DGPC (Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage) website. "This measure is in line with the Minister's policy of promoting the democratisation of access to culture, and at the same time aims to combat the phenomenon of long queues in the morning, by allowing visitors to enjoy museums throughout the day", explained the Ministry spokeswoman. However, foreign tourists will have to pay to get in. As a reminder, until now : admission was free on Sundays and public holidays, mornings only (until 14:00), for everyone, 70% of visitors to Portugal's museums were foreign tourists, Of the 30% of visitors who were Portuguese, only 15% paid the full admission price. 📊 In 2022, Portugal's museums, monuments and national palaces had a total of 3.3 million visitors, representing a recovery of almost 2 million admissions compared to the losses suffered during the covid-19 pandemic. However, these figures are below the 4 to 5 million achieved before the pandemic, between 2017 and 2019.

Passing through the eastern part of the Algarve, just twenty kilometres from the Spanish border, I recommend a visit to Tavira town centre. Among the must-sees in this city nicknamed "the city of a thousand and one churches" (37 churches in fact), you can : 🔹 walk around the old town, in the old Arab quarter, with its white houses and steep streets, 🔹 cross the old Roman bridge (a monument of public interest that was once part of the city's defensive system) and the Rio Gilão to reach the left bank, where you'll find plenty of restaurants and a great view of the old quarter, 🔹 visit the churches (entrance fee required): the 16th-century Igreja da Misericórdia, considered to be the most beautiful Renaissance church in the Algarve, the Igreja de São Paulo and its 7 chapels decorated with 18th-century Baroque woodwork, the Igreja do Carmo and its gilded wooden altarpiece, 🔹take a quiet break in the garden of the ancient castle built by the Moors, and enjoy a fine panoramic view of the lagoon and the city from the walls of the fortress, now in ruins. The Muslims began building the castle in the 10th and 11th centuries; in the late Middle Ages, the walls surrounded an area of almost 5 hectares, indicating the importance of the town, 🔹 discover local crafts in the small Casa de Artesanato shop at Calçada da Galeria 11, 🔹stroll the aisles of the large covered municipal market and be seduced by the beautiful seasonal fruit and vegetables, the superb catch of the day and the other specialities (salt with oregano, dried tuna, local honey, wickerwork...), 🔹 get your head in the stars with a visit to the Tavira Astronomical Observatory, 🔹 reach the Quatro Águas pier on the Ilha de Tavira by boat (June to September) from the Praça da República (beach restaurants and campsites on the island). N.B.: In Tavira, you can park on the right side of the river: pay parking near the Praça da República, free parking in front of the municipal market. Around 20 minutes from Tavira, don't miss a trip to Cabanas de Tavira, a charming little seaside village. There's no shortage of restaurants on site, but for traditional local cuisine, you're sure to love Pedro's (Rua Cap. Baptista Marçal 51). If you fancy a walk of several kilometres along the beach, lazing on the sand and/or a refreshing dip in the ocean, all you have to do is cross the estuary by taking one of the small boats opposite the restaurant. The crossing takes 5 minutes.

From 31 August to 3 September 2023, on the docks of Alcântara in Lisbon, don't miss the chance to admire some of the largest sailing ships in the world. The first Tall Ships Race dates back to 1956. The aim was to promote international friendships and sailing training. In 1956, 20 ships set sail from Great Britain (Torbay) to Portugal (Lisbon) - with the famous Portuguese Sagres already taking part. 🎥 Video to the archives of the time. The route For this 2023 edition, the regatta will start in Falmouth, UK (15-18 August) and make a stopover in La Coruña, ES (24-27 August). This will be followed by a crossing to Lisbon (31 August - 3 September) and a final finish in Cadiz, ES (7-10 September). During these competitions, 4 classes of boats compete against each other. At least 50% of the trainees on board must be aged between 15 and 25. In addition to the sailing trophies, several prizes are awarded each year, for example: the most international crew, the best entry into the port or the most entertaining crew during the crew parade. As well as sailing and racing, port events are an equally important part of the Tall Ships Races. After the period at sea, the trainees generally spend the last 2 days of their voyage in port, where they enjoy activities such as the crew parade, the crew party, friendly competitions, concerts and fireworks. ⚓️ Among the ships announced in 2023 Atyla, 1984 - Vanuatu Capitan Miranda, 1932 - Uruguay Challenge Wales, 2000 - United Kingdom Cuauhtemoc, 1982 - Mexico Dar Mlodziezy, 1982 - Poland Fryderyk Chopin, 1992 - Poland Georg Stage, 1934 - Denmark Juan de Langara, 1983 - Spain Maybe, 1993 - United Kingdom Stella Polare, 1965 - Italy Patricia, 2014 - Belgium Sagres, 1937 - Portugal Vera Cruz, 2000 - Portugal 🎉 The programme of festivities 31/08: 2-10pm - opening ceremony 01/09: 10am-10pm - crew parade 02/09: 10am-24pm - ship visits 03/09: 10am-1pm - boat parade. 📍Where it all happens Doca de Alcântara : Gare Marítima da Rocha Conde d'Óbidos, 1350-352 Lisbon. Entry is free. 💻 The official website for the event is here.

If you feel concerned about the animal cause, I invite you to follow the work and news of the animal protection Association "O jardim da Aryel" on Facebook and Instagram jardim_da_aryel. The pets rescued by Irene Nunes, the founder, are abandoned, stray and/or badly treated animals. In particular, the association cares for a large number of cats whose lives have been turned upside down. On site, near Porches, in the municipality of Lagoa, in the Algarve (a 30-minute drive from Albufeira), the animals rescued catch their breath in the hope of finding loving families willing to take on the full responsibility of adoption. The founder, who devotes herself totally to the animals before and after her working days, has lost count of the number of cases of cats abandoned by owners who clearly have no qualms about buying a new kitten a few months later! 😻 If you would like to help this Association, which is really wonderful but needs moral and financial support and a helping hand, you may be able to : offer your help as a volunteer on site (helping to set up animal houses, improving certain areas, helping with the upkeep of the houses and the animals, etc.); to do so, you can send a message to Irene directly via her social networks or to the following e-mail address: paaa.barlavento@gmail.com donate goods: food, baskets, feeding bowls, etc, provide financial support by being an animal godparent (€7 per month for a cat, €10 per month for a dog) and/or by making a bank transfer to help improve the living conditions of the Association's residents, think about a possible adoption to give one of the little residents a new start. The jardim da Aryel has set up an online funding campaign to buy the land on which the shelter is currently located. Until now, the land could be occupied free of charge, but the announcement that the owners are selling the plot (for the price of 75,000 euros) is calling into question the near future of all the 4-legged residents. To access the funding campaign set up at the end of May 2023, click HERE - you will also have access to a photo gallery showing the work carried out to date by the Association (numerous treatments, sterilisation of animals, vaccinations, construction of shelters, awareness campaigns, etc.). 🪙 Bank details of the Association : Associação de proteção animal de Lagoa NIPC (Numéro d'identification fiscale) 515604356 IBAN : PT 50 004570604031980833028 NIB : 004570604031980833028 Don't hesitate to get in touch with Irene (paaa.barlavento@gmail.com), a truly incredible person who does so much for the animals in the Algarve. 🎥 Link to a short video presenting the Association. ✍🏻 📰 Read the press article about the Association published in The Portugal News on 30 June 2023. The photos in this post were taken during my visit to the Association at the end of July 2023.

💳 📱 ⌚️ Since the end of June 2023, it is now possible to travel on the Lisbon Metro network and pay for your journey by simply approaching either: your bank card (Visa, Mastercard), your smartphone or even your connected watch. It is therefore no longer compulsory to go to the vending machine in the station (and queue...) to buy disposable tickets. The equipment installed by Indra in the access channels reads the card and automatically debits the value of the journey from the user's bank account. Ⓜ️ With this new "contactless" payment method, journeys will cost a standard €1.65 (for each journey) for the entire Lisbon Metro network (fare applicable in July 2023). ⚠️ Important - although the prior purchase of a Viva paper metro ticket (for €1.65) allows unlimited use of the service for 60 minutes (unlimited boarding and alighting) as well as the use of Carris network (bus and tram), this flexibility is not available with the new contactless payment method! It should also be noted that the physical paper "Viva" ticket is the only one that will entitle you to a reduction in the unit price from the 3rd ticket recharged. Contactless journeys made on the Lisbon metro are debited from your bank account at the end of the day and can be consulted on this portal. Another new feature, for regular travellers who want a monthly pass, is that it is now possible - since July 2023 - to buy your Cartão Navegante directly online on the Lisbon Metro website and collect your pass from the station of your choice within 10 working days (or within 24 hours on payment of an additional 12 euros). Of course, you can always go to one of the Espaço Navegante stations to make the request in person.

🗓 From 1 to 6 August 2023, the XXVIIIth World Youth Day (WYD) will be held for the first time in the Portuguese capital, on the edge of the Tagus river, in particular very close to the Parc des Nations district, a stone's throw from the imposing Vasco de Gama Bridge, on the 75-hectare Parque Tejo-Trancão site - renamed "Campo da Graça" for the occasion. Some of the WYD activities will also take place in the Parque Eduardo VII in Lisbon, in Cascais and in Fatima. 🕦 Official Schedule for the Apostolic Journey of His Holiness Pope Francis to Portugal : SEE 📊 In Portugal, - Around 80% of the population identify themselves as Catholics, - Around 53% of young Portuguese people say they are Catholics, which is higher than the European average. [Figures taken from the study by the Benedict XVI Centre for Religion and Society, which served as a basis of information for the 2018 Synod of Bishops on Young People in the Catholic Church]. - There are 21 dioceses and 4,380 parishes. The WYD is a meeting of young people from all over the world with the Pope. It is a pilgrimage, a celebration of youth, an expression of the universal Church and a powerful moment of evangelisation for the world of young people. With a clearly Catholic identity, WYD is open to everyone, whether they are close to the Church or not. 1986: first WYD in Rome - established by John Paul II. 2019: Latest WYD to be held in Panama City - the first WYD in Central America. This year's event was originally scheduled for 2022, but was postponed due to the covid-19 pandemic. "Mary arose and went with haste" (Lk 1:39) is the biblical quotation chosen by Pope Francis as the motto for this 2023 edition.The biblical phrase (a quote from the Gospel of St. Luke) opens the account of the Visitation (Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth), a biblical episode following the Annunciation (the angel’s announcement to Mary that she would be the mother of the Son of God, and the theme of the last WYD, in Panama). The logo for WYD 2023, created by 24-year-old Portuguese designer Beatriz Roque Antunes, takes the symbol of the Cross, with the Holy Spirit appearing on the way. Mary appears as a young woman, to remain faithful to the representation described in the Gospel of Saint Luke (Lk 1, 39) and to reinforce her identification with young people. The rosary celebrates the spirituality of the Portuguese people in their devotion to Our Lady of Fatima. The colours are a reminder of those of the Portuguese flag (green, red and yellow). The 2 symbols of WYD are currently on pilgrimage in the Dioceses of Portugal: - The Pilgrim Cross, 3.8 metres high: built for the Holy Year in 1983, it was entrusted by John Paul II to the young people on Palm Sunday of the following year, so that it could be transported around the world. Since then, the wooden Pilgrim Cross has embarked on a pilgrimage that has taken it to 5 continents and almost 90 countries. - The Icon of Our Lady Salus Populi Romani (since 2003) depicts the Virgin Mary holding the Child Jesus in her arms. In the months leading up to each WYD, the symbols go on pilgrimage to proclaim the Gospel and accompany the young people. 🎼 The song "Há Pressa no Ar" ("There is haste in the air") was chosen as the anthem for this WYD in Lisbon. The lyrics were written by priest João Paulo Vaz and the music by Pedro Ferreira, both from the diocese of Coimbra. The arrangements were provided by musician Carlos Garcia. The anthem - and the video clip showing the flagship sites of Lisbon - was recorded in 2 versions: in Portuguese and in an international version in 5 languages 🎥(Portuguese, English, Spanish, French and Italian). The preparation of all WYDs, their implementation and their dynamism are entrusted to patrons (saints who have been canonised or are in the process of being canonised). For this 28th edition, the Local Organising Committee has selected 13 patrons: Saint John Paul II, Saint John Bosco, Saint Vincent, Saint Anthony, Saint Bartholomew of the Martyrs, Saint John of Britto, Blessed Jeane of Portugal, Blessed John Fernandes, Blessed Maria Claire of the Child Jesus, Blessed Peter George Frassati, Blessed Marcel Callo, Blessed Chiara Badano, Blessed Carlo Acutis. ℹ️ All the news and Q&A about WYD 2023 🇵🇹 are available on the dedicated website. 🗞 The extra info: At the beginning of 2023, controversy erupted in Portugal over the cost of building the large WYD altar stage on the main site on the banks of the Tagus (which will remain in place post-WYD). Indignation was aroused by the value of the stage initially presented by Lisbon City Council: 4.24 million euros. Over a two-week period, the Church, the municipality and Mota-Engil (the company with whom the contract was signed) met to review the initial value and came up with a 30% reduction, representing a cost of 2.9 million euros.

Sport Lisboa e Benfica (SLB), founded in 1904, is a Portuguese football club based in the Benfica district of Lisbon. A visit to the museum and/or stadium will not only delight football fans, but also enthusiasts of the club's other disciplines ("modalidades" in Portuguese), which include: athletics, handball, volleyball, basketball, futsal, roller hockey, combat sports, martial arts, rugby, billiards, gymnastics, swimming, figure skating, water polo, table tennis, sports fishing and golf. What you need to know about Benfica SLB athletes, who wear red and white shirts, are known as the Encarnados (Reds) or the Águias (Eagles); the supporters are known as the Benfiquistas. The club's motto: E Pluribus Unum, One from many. Benfica's emblem: the majestic eagle known as Vitória. The 3 stars on the club shirt are a reminder of the 30 or so championships won to date. The club's current president is Rui Costa, and the coach of the football team since 2022 has been German Roger Schmidt. In Portugal, "Os Três Grandes" (the Big 3) is the name given to the country's biggest football clubs: Benfica, Sporting Portugal and FC Porto. Benfica is the 2nd club in the world with the most members ('Sócios' in Portuguese): more than 267,000 members in 2022 (1st place goes to Bayern Munich). On 27 May 2023, the club won its 38th national league title. You can admire the cup in question at the Cosme Damião Museum (co-founder of the club). The museum looks back at SLB's exploits, exhibits a number of trophies from different disciplines and puts the club's history into perspective in relation to major world events, making it easier for younger visitors in particular to immerse themselves in the past. Part of the museum is dedicated to Eusébio, the legendary football attacker (11 Portuguese league titles, 1965 golden ball...) who died in 2014. A visit to Estádio da Luz will take you behind the scenes of the stadium: changing rooms, press conference room, a tour of the stands and the chance to walk on the central pitch. Prices (effective summer 2023) Opening hours Museum: open every day from 10am to 6pm; on match days, the museum closes at the start of the match. Stadium: from June to September every day (except match days) from 10am to 7pm; from October to May every day (except match days) from 10am to 5pm. Ⓜ️ The complex is easily accessible by Metro: blue line, Alto dos Moinhos or Colégio Militar stop. 🥪 🥗 You can also eat on site in the sports complex (snack/bar options) and in the stadium's own restaurant - Restaurante Luz by Chakall - with uninterrupted views of the stadium's interior. 🧣👟The visit concludes with a visit to the very large shop dedicated entirely to the club - next door there is also a large Adidas shop with all the latest equipment.

It is no longer compulsory to display a motor insurance sticker on a vehicle's window from Tuesday 11 July 2023, according to a law published in the Diário da República, which also abolishes the associated fines. "This law eliminates the obligation to affix the motor insurance sticker and amends for the second time decree-law no. 291/2007 of 21 August, which establishes the system of compulsory third-party liability insurance for motor vehicles, as amended by decree-law no. 153/2008 of 6 August", states law no. 32/2023. The law states that the documents referred to in this article may be issued and made available "by electronic means, without prejudice to being issued and made available on paper, at no additional cost, at the request of the policyholder". Electronic proof of insurance (e.g. presented from a smartphone) is therefore now accepted. The proposal, stemming from a bill presented by the Iniciativa Liberal political party, was approved with the PS, PCP and BE voting in favour, as well as the author of the proposal, the PSD abstaining and Chega voting against. In the explanatory statement for this law, the Iniciativa Liberal party points out: "In a historical context of severe financial constraints, it does not seem proportionate or justified to us that the State should charge hundreds of euros for forgetting a simple piece of paper that merely transmits information already in the possession of the fines officers", thus justifying the repeal of the articles of the legislation that previously obliged motorists to display the insurance sticker on their windscreen. Until now, the fine could range from €250 to €1,250. 🛣 Have a safe trip = Boa viagem !

🗓 February 27, 2024: that's the date already chosen for the Michelin Red Guide gala evening to celebrate Portuguese gastronomy in Albufeira (Palais des Congrès NAU Salgados, Algarve). The event will mark the publication of the very first edition of the Red Guide, dedicated exclusively to the best restaurants in Portugal. Until now, the Guide has been published jointly for Spain and Portugal. 🖥 Online, the Michelin Red Guide currently lists: - 38 Bib Gourmand restaurants (awarded since 1997 to those offering the best value for money in terms of complete meals and simple, accessible cuisine), including 7 in Lisbon: Zunzum Gastrobar, Oficio, O Parreirinha, Solar dos Nunes, Carnal, O Frade, Arkhe. - 30 restaurants with 1 Michelin star (a very good table in its category). - 7 restaurants with 2 Michelin stars (excellent cuisine well worth the detour): In Lisbon: Belcanto and Alma, both located in the heart of the capital. In the Algarve region: Ocean at the Vila Vita hotel complex in Porches, Vila Joya overlooking Galé beach. In the Porto region: The Yeatman in Vila Nova de Gaia, Casa de Chá da Boa Nova in Leça da Palmeira. On Madeira Island: Il Galo d'Oro in Funchal. - 3 restaurants awarded the Michelin Green Star (which, since 2020, has encouraged sustainable, eco-responsible gastronomy): Herdade do Esporão in the Évora district, Mesa de Lemos in the Viseu district et Il Galo d'Oro in Madeira. 🚗 🛣 For the record, the Michelin Red Guide was launched in 1900: - by André and Édouard Michelin, the brothers who founded the Michelin tire factory in Clermont-Ferrand (France), - originally an advertising booklet, with a print run of 35,000 copies, offered to drivers with the purchase of tires to facilitate mobility, - it included lists of garages and doctors, road maps, city maps and practical tips (for optimum vehicle maintenance). - 1920: the Guide becomes a paying publication, with restaurants and hotels listed and classified. - 1926: the first "bonne table" star is awarded, followed in 1931 by the 2nd and 3rd stars. - 1933: creation of the profession of inspector - Michelin inspectors, employed by the Group, travel the roads in search of the best restaurants. ℹ️ The French version of Michelin's Guide rouge currently sells around 30,000 copies (a 60% drop in sales in 10 years). Its direct competitor: Gault & Millau.

🧐 Want to learn more about the traditions surrounding the celebrations of Saint Anthony - the Patron Saint of the city of Lisbon - don't miss my dedicated post to find out all you need to know on the subject in only 4 minutes! 🗓 Don't forget that 13 June is a public holiday in Lisbon (to help you recover from the previous day's festivities) 🤪 🎉 Ask for the full programme for the 2023 edition ➡️ here for visits, arraiais (neighbourhood parties), concerts, the famous marchas populares, open-air cinema... and many other ideas for outings. 🐟 The 5 lucky winners of the 2023 Sardine Reproduction Competition have already been announced 🏆 - the sardine is one of the emblems of the Lisbon festivities, along with the manjerico (a small plant of fresh basil): - 3,267 proposals received from 64 countries, - the winners included 5 portuguese sardines and 1 brazilian sardine, - The designers of the 5 winning sardines each received a prize worth €1,500, - This year's theme was "Abril, Sardinhas Mil" (April, Sardines, A Thousand), - If you're curious, you can find out more about the winning sardines (from left to right): 🐟 nº1: Tiago Távora Veras has created the Sardine São Vicente - which takes its inspiration from 15th-century Portuguese art, with the panels of the Adoration of São Vicente (a polyptych made up of six panels painted in the 1450s) inside the belly of a sardine. 🐟 nº2: Where's Kitty? by Rita Martelo was inspired by the work of British illustrator Martin Handford, author of Where's Wally? It shows Lisbon's festivities, from the Castle to the sardine-filled Cais das Colunas. In an allegorical tone, it illustrates the diversity of the city's population celebrating Saint Anthony. The little black cat Kitty is not easy to find among the balloons, beer, music and colours that characterise the popular saints' season. 🐟 nº3: Luís Gil decided to transform the painting The Son of Man into a meeting between Fernando Pessoa and René Magritte. Instead of the green apple covering the man's face, there is a sardine, which replaces Fernando Pessoa's nose and moustache, a characteristic Lisbon figure. 🐟 nº4: Eliza Borkowska travelled to Japan and presented Sardine-Sushi. The illustration features pieces of sushi and two red chopsticks in the shape of the Portuguese's most famous fish. 🐟 nº5: Marta Dias has bet on celebrating the culture and memory of the Portuguese people, presenting a sweet rice pudding, decorated with cinnamon, in a clay bowl. Arroz doce (rice pudding) is a key dessert in traditional Portuguese cuisine. 🚌 Where can you spot these 5 specimens? In June, the winning sardines will be on display inside Lisbon's buses. Enjoy your fishing! 🎣

The Bank of Portugal has just announced (25 May 2023) that a collector coin with a face value of €5 will be put into circulation from 1 June 2023. Only 30,000 of these rare coins will be produced, and they can be used as a means of payment only in Portugal. A dinosaur is depicted on the obverse side - with the scientific name of the species: "Miragaia longicollum" - alongside trees, while the reverse side features the skeleton of the extinct reptile, the value of the coin (€5), the coat of arms of Portugal and the inscription "Portugal 2023". A bit of History... Portugal's coat of arms, officially adopted on 30 June 1911, is based on the old monarchical coats of arms in the following form: 5 shields in cross Azure, each shield charged with 5 bezants in saltire Argent and a border with 7 castles in gold, each with a keep of 3 towers. This rare coin will be distributed to the public through the treasury departments of the Bank of Portugal, credit institutions and the Imprensa Nacional - Casa da Moeda (INCM), which is responsible for minting coins in Portugal. 🦕 Did you say Miragaia longicollum? Yes, yes, it's a dinosaur from the Stegosauridae family. The name refers to the Portuguese town of Miragaia (a village attached to the town of Lourinhã, in the district of Lisbon), close to which the best-preserved skeleton in Europe was discovered. The giant weighed between 1 and 2 tonnes and was around 6 metres long. It had an exceptionally long neck (for a stegosaurid) with at least 17 cervical vertebrae, at least 8 more than in ornithischiensbasaux. Miragaia lived in Portugal 150 million years ago at the end of the Upper Jurassic. "Miragaia longicollum" moeda de 5 euros / reprodução/Banco de Portugal. The specifications of this part were approved by Executive Decree 117/2023, published in the Journal officiel, 1ère série - n° 90, of 10 May 2023. 💶 When did the € come into force in Portugal? On 1 January 2002, many Portuguese lined up outside the Bank of Portugal's headquarters in Lisbon to exchange their escudos for euros.