Pico Museum

Category: Civil Architecture > Museum

District: Açores > Lajes do Pico > Lajes do Pico > Ribeira do Meio

Location

The Pico Museum, in its aspect dedicated to the island's maritime history, is located in Lajes do Pico. It is situated in the Ribeira do Meio area, on Rua dos Baleeiros (Whalers' Street), a name that evokes the village's strong historical connection to whaling.

Being in this location allows visitors to feel the atmosphere of a community that, for centuries, largely lived in function of this activity, preparing for voyages and celebrating returns.

The Legacy of Azorean Whaling

This branch of the Pico Museum in Lajes is dedicated to preserving and presenting the history and significance of the artisanal whaling practiced in the Azores. It is the only institution in Portugal focused specifically on this type of hunting, which profoundly marked the island's culture and economy for many years.

Through its exhibitions, the museum offers a comprehensive explanation of this activity, from the preparations on land to the action at sea, showing how the lives of the communities were intrinsically linked to the whale's cycle.

The Building and its Architecture

The museum is housed in a building that combines the past with the present. It includes a set of three original 19th-century whaling boat houses and an annexed blacksmith's tent, essential locations for preparing for the hunt.

These historical structures have been integrated into a more recent built body, with an architecture that evokes the style associated with North American whaling. This new space accommodates areas such as reception, galleries for temporary exhibitions, and an auditorium, complementing the permanent exhibition areas.

Exhibition Routes

Inside, the museum guides visitors through five permanent exhibition nuclei. These routes address various aspects of whaling. One nucleus is dedicated to the Azorean whaling boat, the fundamental vessel for hunting.

Another explores the blacksmith's tent and the tools used to prepare the equipment. There is also a nucleus that portrays the whaler's life on land, showing daily life and the community. Shipbuilding is the theme of another area, revealing the expertise needed to construct these boats. Finally, a nucleus focuses on whaling art, known as scrimshaw, pieces carved from sperm whale teeth or bones, which are a unique artistic testimony.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt