Lourdes headquarters memorial moves closer to Circuito Liberdade

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Clube Atlético Mineiro

·13 August 2026

Lourdes headquarters memorial moves closer to Circuito Liberdade

Atlético took another step toward bringing the Club’s history even closer to the culture and life of Belo Horizonte. Last Saturday (8), during a meeting with the Deliberative Council at Labareda, a Letter of Intent was signed between the Atlético Memory Center and Museu do Galo and the Clóvis Salgado Foundation, with the goal of integrating the cultural facility at the Lourdes headquarters into Circuito Liberdade.

The documentation for the integration of the Atlético Memory Center into Circuito Liberdade is already under review by the Clóvis Salgado Foundation. The initiative represents another stage of a project that seeks to preserve, promote, and expand access to Atlético’s history, connecting the Club’s memory to Belo Horizonte’s cultural, tourism, educational, and creative network.

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Managed by the Clóvis Salgado Foundation, Circuito Liberdade currently brings together 71 integrated venues within the Avenida do Contorno perimeter. The network includes spaces from different cultural areas and also has a historical connection with Atlético, since Parque Municipal, where the Club was founded, and Minascentro, the site of the former Antônio Carlos Stadium, are part of the circuit.

For the president of the Clóvis Salgado Foundation, Yuri Mello Mesquita, the Lourdes headquarters has a significance that goes beyond the Club itself and is part of Belo Horizonte’s very formation.

“The Lourdes headquarters has always been a place of identity in Belo Horizonte. Right next to it is Antônio Carlos. We saw the Lourdes neighborhood grow. When Atlético arrived in Lourdes, Lourdes was not all that people imagine it to have been at the time. So Atlético played a very important role for the city, helping develop a region. It is a very important heritage asset for all the men and women of Minas Gerais.”

Yuri also highlighted the trajectory of the Atlético Memory Center, which has spent 20 years working to preserve and promote the Club’s history, and emphasized the potential of integration with Circuito Liberdade.

“The Atlético Memory Center is establishing itself as one of the main cultural venues for sports and leisure memory by joining Circuito Liberdade. The possibility of itineraries, the possibility of fundraising, and of consolidating this project, which is already 20 years old, is very important.”

According to the president of the Clóvis Salgado Foundation, the initiative can also serve as a reference for other clubs interested in preserving and sharing their history.

“On top of everything, Atlético, as always, will be a reference for other clubs to follow the same path.”

Headquarters as an arm of the Museum

During the presentation to the council members, Atlético president Sérgio Coelho detailed part of the project that will be developed at the Lourdes headquarters. The space will be integrated into the Museu do Galo project and will function as one of the branches of the venue dedicated to preserving Atlético’s memory.

The proposal provides for a new layout for the area where the trophies are currently displayed, bringing back the headquarters’ historic entrance. The space will feature items from the Club’s collection and a visitor structure, with the route connected to the Galo store.

“The headquarters will be an arm of the museum. There will be guided visits, and the person goes downstairs and ends up right inside the Galo store,” explained Sérgio Coelho.

The idea is also to turn the Lourdes headquarters into a permanent space for interaction among fans, visitors, and figures from the Club’s history. The project provides for operation seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with the daily presence of four former athletes, who will be able to share their stories and experiences with visitors.

In addition to valuing Atlético’s memory, the initiative seeks to contribute to the recognition of the Club’s former players, who will take part in the project through funding from incentive-based programs.

Museu do Galo

The meeting also presented updates on the Museu do Galo project, which will be built at Arena MRV. The venue is in the development phase of the projects required for its implementation, involving different areas and requiring the coordination of architectural, fire prevention and firefighting, museology, and other plans.

The work also includes the institutional steps needed to advance the project and begin construction.

The proposal is for Museu do Galo to be a space dedicated to preserving, promoting, and sharing the Club’s history, bringing together collection, memory, and experiences for fans and visitors.

Sustainability

Sustainability is another strategic pillar of the Museu do Galo project. The topic was presented to the council members by Felipe Bittencourt, vice president of Museu do Galo, co-founder and CEO of WayCarbon, a company specialized in sustainability and climate change.

The proposal is to incorporate sustainability practices and concepts into the development and operation of the future venue, expanding the project’s scope beyond historical and cultural preservation.

The Museum project also includes institutional engagement with organizations in the museum sector, such as the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and the Brazilian Institute of Museums (Ibram).

Next step

The signing of the Letter of Intent represents an important step toward integrating the Lourdes headquarters into Circuito Liberdade. The next step is already scheduled for November, when a special event will be held to officially mark the space’s entry into Belo Horizonte’s cultural network.

“In November, we will hold a special event to officially mark the entry of the Lourdes headquarters into Circuito Liberdade, bringing together Atlético and different members of this network. It is another step toward increasingly integrating Atlético’s memory, history, culture, and the life of Belo Horizonte,” said Emerson Maurilio, president of the Atlético Memory Center and Museu do Galo.

The initiative reinforces Atlético’s commitment to preserving and sharing its history and expands the connection between the Club’s memory, the heritage of Belo Horizonte, and one of the main cultural networks in Minas Gerais.

For Atlético, the integration also represents the continuation of two decades of work by the Atlético Memory Center, now with new possibilities for connecting with the city, developing cultural and educational initiatives, and promoting Atlético’s history.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.