The renovation work on Arco da Vila was inaugurated on 21 July at 6:30 pm in a ceremony attended by mayors, representatives of official entities, cultural professionals, and the public.

The ceremony, presided over by the Mayor of Faro, Rogério Bacalhau Coelho, was also attended by the Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sports, Margarida Balseiro Lopes, who, together with the mayor of Faro, unveiled the inaugural plaque, marking the completion of the conservation and restoration work on this historic landmark. It also featured the presence of Architect Teresa Valente, who led the multidisciplinary team that carried out these works and who gave a review of how the work progressed, noting the before and after of this rehabilitation and its importance in preserving a monument that is one of the symbols of the city of Faro.

Rogério Bacalhau emphasized the monument's importance to Faro's identity, stating that "it is not just a stone and mortar structure, photographed by all who enter Vila-Adentro, a reminder of days well spent. It is a mirror of our identity and a living testament to our conviction that culture must be transformed into an economic and social engine." The mayor also emphasized that "integrated management policies, which lead us to implement initiatives to preserve collective memory and innovate," demonstrate that "culture is the project of the future, which will bring added value to the municipality" and that "citizenship involves access to heritage and implies that those who govern have an integrated vision of Heritage and Culture, linked to a holistic approach, in which there are no burdens of the past, but only levers for the future."

The Mayor also highlighted the symbolism of the Arch as a metaphor for the municipality's cultural policy: "This Arch invites us to cross not only the threshold between the past and the future, but embodies the desire to transform each stone of our history into a living force for development, through which we strengthen social cohesion and seek to be fairer and more rigorous in the use of public resources."

The Minister of Culture referred to the importance of restoration for sustainable tourism and regional self-esteem, considering the Arco da Vila "a gateway that opens horizons to those who enter and live here," horizons that allow for the heritage to be a significant asset and a driver of development.

We recall that the restoration of the Arco da Vila is the result of an agreement between the municipality and the Cultural Heritage Safeguarding Fund, under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, representing a global investment of 250,000 euros. The Arco da Vila, commissioned in 1812 over the former Arab Gate, is an unavoidable symbol of Faro's life.

Classified as a National Monument since 1910, it serves as a hinge between the walled medieval town and the contemporary city.