"Our concern is not to have just a military museum, but rather to invite visitors to reflect on how the military has influenced the city of Santarém from various points of view, besides the military one", said the historian and technician from the Municipal Council of Santarém, Luís Mata, in statements to the Lusa agency. In other words, he stressed, the aim is for the centre to focus on the military importance of the army in the city of Ribatejo, but also to take a broader approach, talking about the economic, social and cultural importance that the military has had in the city. The project is still in its initial phase, but according to Luís Mata, at least 250 thousand euros will be needed to build the new military interpretation centre, which the person in charge hopes will be completed by next year. The centre should make available documents, films, photographic exhibitions and maps that portray and "materialise" the interactions between the military body and the city of Santarém. The new space will be installed in an annex, located between the former Practical Cavalry School and the Convent of S. Francisco, in a room where the sergeants' refectory once operated and which will be "completely reconfigured and undergo major adaptation works". According to the Councillor for Culture of Santarém, Nuno Domingos, the centre's purpose will be to explain the influence of the army in the city over time, from the French invasions, through the implementation of the Republic to the present day. "We want to tell this story of the army's relevance, which spans several eras of our history. When we started researching, we found that the army's relevance was on a much larger scale than the practical school, although the school is the most relevant moment of all", Nuno Domingos told Lusa. According to the mayor, the facility will also allow us to recognise and identify the "close" relationship that exists between the military and the city of Santarém and to "thank the army for everything it has done and offered" to the territory of Santarém. The creation of the new space is also related to the Museum of April and Universal Values (MAVU), which will also be installed in the former Practical Cavalry School. Although they are spaces with "different philosophies", Luís Mata stressed that the projects are related, since they reflect, together, how the military has contributed to freedom, not only on 25 April, but also in other historical periods. "They are associated and complement each other. They have different philosophies, but they complement each other because they reinforce the importance of the military in the city of Santarém in different eras", he explained. MAVU is one of the initiatives of the Urban Network for Freedom and Citizenship, formed by the municipalities of Santarém, Castelo de Vide (Portalegre district) and Vendas Novas (Évora district) and which aims to highlight the values of freedom and citizenship, under the symbol of 25 April 1974. The Santarém Militar interpretation centre was created by a team that brought together technicians from the Municipal Council, designer Carlos Amado, architect and former employee of the local authority José Rodrigues, sergeant-major José Manuel dos Santos and the director of the Military Museum of Lisbon, Colonel Francisco Amado Rodrigues. Read Also: Bishop of Santarém warns of the need to balance incomes (Portuguese version)