Category: Civil Architecture > Museum
District: Açores > Lagoa > Santa Cruz
The Visitável Collection is located within the premises of the Mother Church of Santa Cruz, in the town of Santa Cruz, integrated into the municipality of Lagoa. The Mother Church, a landmark in the village in itself, hosts this cultural space that invites an in-depth discovery of its heritage. Its central position allows for an immersion in the local atmosphere, connecting visitors to the life and history of the community.
This ecclesiastical museum space, integrated into the network of the Museum of Lagoa-Azores, offers a long-term exhibition dedicated to sacred art. It was designed to preserve and make known the rich religious heritage of the Mother Church, bringing together cultural assets that, in other times, would not have been so accessible to the public. The conservation and exhibition work was recognized with an honorable mention by the Portuguese Museology Association, highlighting its uniqueness.
The collection is organized into several exhibition rooms, or nuclei, which are spread across various dependencies of the building, creating an immersive route for visitors. It is possible to admire pieces of religious sculpture in the Imagery nucleus, which narrates the history of the Catholic Church. The Goldsmithery nucleus displays liturgical implements, while the Ceramics and Tilework contextualizes objects and highlights the tilework from the parish's hermitages. The Processional Nucleus focuses on the intangible heritage associated with the rites of local processions. The Vestments explain the different examples of liturgical garments and the meaning of the colors. A particular highlight is the Bonecreira Art Nucleus, a form of popular art characteristic of the municipality of Lagoa, which represents biblical passages from the life of Christ.
Visiting this collection is also a way to get to know the Mother Church itself, as the exhibition route extends through various areas of the temple. The goal is to provide a formative experience, encompassing the historical, aesthetic, and spiritual dimensions of religious heritage. The magnificence of the building and the beauty of its interior, together with the richness of the collection, allow for artistic contemplation that transcends boundaries of belief, attracting a diverse audience interested in the history and cultural identity of the place.
The Visitável Collection of the Mother Church of Santa Cruz was designed to welcome a wide audience, coming from different origins and contexts. To ensure that the experience is accessible to all, the space provides an innovative video guide, with interpretation in Portuguese Sign Language, removing communication barriers for the deaf community. The video guide's content is also available in English, facilitating understanding for visitors of other nationalities and allowing a deeper exploration of the exhibited collection.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 37.7433539,-25.5655037
Coordinates DMS: 37°44'36.1"N 25°33'55.8"W
Weather Santa Cruz
On-duty Pharmacy Santa Cruz
