Parques de Sintra wins the 2025 Iberian Heritage Award in the category of “Best Mediation Project”

On 5 December, the project “Personagens com História” (Characters with History), implemented in May this year at the National Palace of Sintra, was distinguished with the 2025 Iberian Heritage Award in the category of “Best Mediation Project”. Paula Amador, member of the Board of Directors of Parques de Sintra, received the award on behalf of the company at the prize-giving ceremony, which took place at the Olga Cadaval Cultural Centre in Sintra, as part of AR-PA – the Iberian Biennial of Cultural Heritage.

In response to this distinction, João Sousa Rego, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Parques de Sintra, stated: “This award confirms that we are on the right path. We will continue to develop projects such as this one, which allow us to offer a distinctive cultural and tourism programme that enhances the heritage we manage and makes the experience of those who visit us truly unforgettable. To achieve this, it is essential to strengthen investment in research and to study the history and the figures who inhabited these spaces, as it is this knowledge that leads us to new narratives and new cultural offerings with added value.”

“Personagens com História” is an audiovisual project underpinned by rigorous historical research and featuring actors and actresses well known to the general public. It restores voice, face and story to 14 figures who lived or worked at the National Palace of Sintra, including six queens and other characters such as the storekeeper, the servant and the cook. Through interactive screens, visitors can encounter these characters and their stories in an immersive, empathetic and emotionally impactful experience that revolutionises the way they understand and feel the monument.

The project resulted from a collaboration between Parques de Sintra; Realizasom, responsible for the technological and museographic solutions; and LoboMau Produções, which ensured the production of the content. Its implementation was made possible through the Mobilising Agenda “ATT – Accelerate and Transform Tourism”, of which Parques de Sintra – Monte da Lua SA is a partner entity, supported by the PRR – Recovery and Resilience Plan and by the European Next Generation EU Funds (more information at: www.recuperarportugal.gov.pt).

The Iberian Heritage Awards, now in their 3rd edition, recognise best practices in the Iberian cultural heritage sector, honouring Portuguese and Spanish organisations and professionals who stand out for the innovation, impact and excellence of their work across the four established award categories: Mediation, Communication, Cultural Touring and Partnership. This year, the organisation received more than sixty submissions from around fifty different entities, which were assessed by an international jury comprising Margarida Alçada (Portugal), Enrique Saiz (Spain) and Justin Albert (USA/UK).

On 4 December, the eighteen selected finalists publicly defended their applications before the international awards jury and the audience attending AR-PA 2025, in a decisive session for determining the winners of this edition. António Nunes Pereira, Director of the Palaces managed by Parques de Sintra, presented the “Personagens com História” project.

The 2025 Iberian Heritage Awards ceremony formed part of the programme of the 8th edition of AR-PA – the Iberian Biennial of Cultural Heritage, which was dedicated to Historic Centres and took place in Sintra, marking the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the classification of its Cultural Landscape as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Organised by Spira – Revitalização Patrimonial, the event was promoted by the Municipality of Sintra and the Cultursintra Foundation, with the Regional Government of Castile and León as co-promoter. Parques de Sintra was an institutional partner of the event, which is held under the High Patronage of the President of the Portuguese Republic.