The building that today houses the municipal services of Gondomar marks 125 years of existence on October 9, 1901, the date it received its first services. Throughout this time, the Paços do Concelho have accompanied the territory's evolution and adapted to the community's changes.
To commemorate the milestone, the Municipality of Gondomar inaugurates, on Friday the 9th, at 6:00 PM, an exhibition that recovers images, documents, and memories linked to the building's history. The exhibition, organized into 12 panels, chronologically traces the trajectory of the Paços do Concelho from 1901 to the present day, based on historical information and photographs from the Municipal Historical Archive.
A unique element on the staircase allows a glimpse further back in time: the coat of arms stone from the old Paços do Concelho, built on the same site in 1778 and demolished in 1898. This piece is the only remnant of the previous construction, establishing a historical link between the Municipality's former and current seats.
The current building, in neoclassical style and designed by Francisco de Castro, has undergone several modifications. In the 1940s and 1950s, the atrium, staircase, and first floor were decorated with polychrome tiles. Subsequent interventions in 1990 and 1998 gave the Paços do Concelho their current configuration.
The exhibition, which will be on display until November 9th at the Paços do Concelho itself, aims to be more than just a celebration of a building; it seeks to recover a part of the collective memory of Gondomar and the generations who passed through it.
