The Secret of António Dias Lourenço

The National Museum of Resistance and Freedom (MNRL), in Peniche, opens on December 19th, at 3 pm, the temporary exhibition “The Secret of António Dias Lourenço”, marking the 70th anniversary of the historic escape of one of the most respected resistants to the dictatorial portuguese regime.

70 years ago, António Dias Lourenço escaped from the disciplinary cell of the Peniche Fort Prison, located in the “Round Fortlet” (Fortim Redondo), also known as “the Secret”. Occurring at the early hours of December 19, 1954, the breakout was a humiliation for the dictatorship, revealing the weaknesses of the Peniche jail and the determination of the resisters.

With the exhibition “The Secret of António Dias Lourenço”, the National Museum of Resistance and Freedom aims to celebrate this historical event, bring to light the life path of one of the most respected oppositionists to the regime, and raise awareness among the younger generations to the fact that the Freedom they enjoy today was built on the sacrifices of those men and women who made resistance to fascism their purpose in life.