5 ISSN 1139-7365 Abstract This paper addresses the creaton and placement of the last public art orders produced by the Portuguese dictatorship. The impact produced by the politcal shif to democracy in many of the orders commissioned by the New State, specially the statues waitng to be placed in the early years of Democracy is the main subject of this paper. A progressive change of procedures and ways of deliver public art orders afer the middle sixtes is primarily discussed as it consttutes the frst sign of the failure of the New State system of public art running between 1938 e 1960. It considers the actvity of the Portuguese Ministry of Public Works (MOP) and Lisbon Muni- cipality Council (CML), in the period encompassing 1965 to 1986, corresponding to the last years of dictatorship and the joining of Portugal to the EEC, in what concerns the placement of statues intended for public spaces. Monuments paying tribute to the main characters of the regime, Salazar and Carmona, have been removed afer the Carnaton Revoluton. But a couple of years afer democracy being established, some statues promoted by the New State fnd their way to public spaces of several Portuguese towns. Key-words: New State last public art orders, systems of public art, Portuguese dictatorship and early years of democracy Resumo O presente artgo oferece uma análise sobre o trajecto das últmas propostas de arte pública da ditadura portuguesa, planeadas, produzidas ou em execução entre 1965-1974. Expõem- se, em primeiro lugar, a erosão dos sistemas de arte pública vigentes entre 1938 e 1960, mostrando as alterações produzidas ao nível da feitura e localização bem como a quebra de procedimentos que envolvem os organismos abrangidos, questonando qual o seu efeito As últimas encomendas de arte pública do Estado Novo (1965-1985) The latest public art commissions by “Estado Novo” (1965-1985) Helena Elias Universidade Lusófona de Lisboa Inês Marques Universidade Lusófona de Lisboa