The Jardim do Paço Episcopal of Castelo Branco was distinguished as one of the New 7 Wonders of Portugal, in the Tourism category. This victory comes after a competitive process that involved 629 initial applications, which selected 147 finalists distributed by seven categories, progressing through regional phases, a national semifinal with 49 properties, and finally 21 national finalists competing in the Grande Final. The voting took place through telephone calls and the TVI Pass application, with independent auditing from PwC. The initiative is organized by EIP – New 7 Wonders Portugal, with TVI as the official television partner for the 2026 edition.
The column, written by Fernando Jesus Pires, director of the newspaper O Regiões, addresses the need for transparency regarding municipal investments in the participation. The article distinguishes between a legitimate debate about the competition model and accusations without proof, arguing that the values should come from concrete contracts and not from estimates.
The author emphasizes that the victory cannot just be celebrated — it needs to be strategically leveraged. He argues that the Municipal Council should bring together hospitality, restaurants, commerce, museums and artisans to create an integrated tourism product, extending visitor stays and linking the garden to other attractions such as the Castle of the Knights Templars, the Embroidery of Castelo Branco, museums and the gastronomy of Beira Baixa.
The article concludes that the real work starts now. Castelo Branco must transform the Wonder title into visitors, overnight stays, wealth and employment, with special attention to the Spanish market. Without measurement indicators, there will only be promotion; with indicators, there will be effective tourism policy.
