Cascais City Hall inaugurated this Tuesday the Avenida Francisco Pinto Balsemão, creating a new road in the region in his honor. The ceremony marked the municipality's recognition of a prominent figure in Portuguese political and media history.
Francisco Pinto Balsemão, originally from Porto, was prime minister of Portugal during the democratic period. Beyond his political career, he stood out as a media businessman, having founded SIC, the first private television channel in Portugal, and Expresso, one of the country's leading weekly newspapers.
The choice of date for the naming was not random. The Avenue received its name on the day Francisco Pinto Balsemão would have turned 89, reinforcing the personal and symbolic nature of the tribute by the Cascais municipal council.
The decision to assign his name to a municipal road is part of a common practice of public recognition by municipalities, which frequently dedicate public spaces to figures with relevant contributions to the country or the region.
