Vera Avidano on: Belonging through culture 

By the time Vera Avidano was 23, she had already lived in four different countries, including Italy, France, Switzerland and Portugal.  Each move came with juggling life in a new country.  

“It’s pretty tough to relocate to another place,” Vera says frankly. “I never really thought about this set of skills, but then I realised how much lived experience mattered.”  

What helped Vera assimilate more quickly in each new destination was her proximity to culture.  

“I visited a lot of museums. It really helped me integrate. This is how you encourage community – through culture.”  

This realisation followed her early in her career. Raised in Milan, with both Italian and French qualifications, Vera completed her bachelor’s in Paris in economics and management (corporate strategies). During the COVID pandemic, she decided to move to Lisbon for a more balanced lifestyle. Soon after, she landed a role at a relocation company, allowing her to explore the practical, emotional, and cultural layers of moving across borders.  

This idea that culture can unite people from all walks of life later defined her work at Global Citizen Solutions.  

Vera joined GCS initially to work on partnerships and gradually became involved in the cultural investment field, a natural fit given her academic background in creative industries.  

“I was very happy when it happened,” she says. “I feel like in life you sometimes end up where you’re meant to be.”  

Today, Vera leads GCS’s cultural initiative for Portugal’s Golden Visa — a donation-based route that supports cultural preservation and artistic projects and attracts applicants with a civic rather than financial focus. It’s a path she believes in deeply, both professionally and personally.  

“I’ve seen how our clients want to contribute. They want to help Portugal, help culture, and have a positive impact on society and the arts at large.”  

For Vera, cultural preservation is inseparable from identity, especially for those who move often. “When you relocate, you start seeing patterns of heritage and patrimony everywhere,” she explains. “Preserving culture helps you understand a country. It helps you find connections. It’s linked to global mobility.”  

She speaks from experience. As an Italian living abroad, recognizing traces of Italian influence in France and elsewhere made integration feel less abstract and, in turn, more accessible. Culture became a familiar language.  

That same principle now guides how she collaborates with private clients at GCS.  

“If you invest in a country and then see something meaningful happen where you invested, it creates a different kind of connection,” she says.  

“Imagine moving to Portugal knowing you helped restore an important historical building — like Palácio da Ajuda, which you can even see from the plane. You contributed concretely.”  

It’s not a traditional investment, she’s quick to note. There’s no financial return. Instead, there’s impact and a sense of belonging. Donors are often invited into cultural spaces, including events, exhibitions, performances and become part of a more enduring legacy.  

At GCS, Vera personally accompanies clients through the entire process. While the cultural route is one of the most straightforward Golden Visa options in terms of the application process, it’s also one of the hardest to navigate independently. Access to foundations is limited, relationships matter, and each project comes with its own expectations.  

“We reach out to foundations, build relationships, and secure slots,” she explains. “We’ve created a portal where investors can see all approved projects with clear descriptions. If someone is undecided, we arrange tailored calls and even in-person visits.”  

Matching matters. Some investors gravitate toward performing arts like opera and the theatre. Others prefer restoration projects or international exhibitions. Vera’s role is to align personal interests with projects where a genuine connection is possible.  

Foundations, too, are selective. Due diligence is strict, and for highly sought-after projects, competition is intense.  “Sometimes having a real interest in the project makes a difference,” she says. “Foundations care about whom they’re associated with.”  

Beyond restoring buildings or funding exhibitions, the impact often ripples outward. Some projects bring international artists to Portugal. Others promote Portuguese artists abroad. Many focus on accessibility, making cultural spaces inclusive for people with disabilities.  

“That’s very impactful,” Vera says. “And I hope we see more of it.”  

Portugal, Vera believes, stands out internationally in the global mobility industry because it offers cultural impact at a comparatively accessible investment level. It allows investors to be intentional- financially and ethically – without sacrificing their more immediate goals like having to relocate to Portugal immediately.  

One of the most attractive advantages of the Portugal Golden Visa is the short-stay requirement of just seven days per year. This flexibility allows investors to shuttle back and forth between Portugal at their own time and pace.  

Cultural investment surged from €4.5 million in 2023 to €14 million in 2024, as more investors turned to the cultural route. A further €2.1 million flowed into cultural initiatives in the first quarter of 2025 alone.  

Vera hopes the trend continues with an emphasis on values-led investments.  

“I hope donations expand into education and health as well,” she says. “It would be a positive evolution.”  

For someone who has spent much of her life crossing borders, that evolution feels personal. Culture, for Vera, has always been a way in – into cities, communities, and now, into a more meaningful form of global mobility, one centred on belonging through culture.