Custódio Prato House-Museum

Category: Civil Architecture > Museum

District: Aveiro > Murtosa > Bunheiro > Passadouros

Location:

Situated in the Passadouros area, in the village of Bunheiro, Murtosa municipality, the House-Museum is located in an environment that still reflects the rural essence of the Beira-Ria region.

A 20th Century Farmer's House

The Custódio Prato House-Museum offers a portrait of rural life in the region at the beginning of the 20th century. Upon visiting, one can imagine the daily life of a farming family, understanding their routines and the importance of agriculture at the time.

The Building and the Farmyard

The house structure follows the traditional regional model, with its characteristic porch. It is part of a farmyard, protected from the outside by courtyards, which included areas for corrals and storage essential for family life and farm work.

Outside, the backyard maintains typical elements such as the water wheel and well, the hay stack, and the shed, showing the direct link of the house to agricultural activities and self-sufficiency.

Memories of Marinhoa Land

The interior of the House-Museum houses a vast collection of objects that tell the story of local daily life. You can see furniture, clothing, crockery, and utensils that were part of the lives of Murtosa families throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.

There is also a space dedicated to recreating environments of traditional crafts and activities, such as tailoring, barbering, shoemaking, carpentry, the winery, among others, along with a detailed display of agricultural tools and implements.

The collection, with thousands of pieces, conveys the sentimental and historical value linked to the customs, traditions, and ways of life of the "Marinhão people" and their ancestors.

The Legacy of Custódio Prato

The museum's designation pays homage to Custódio José da Silva Sousa, the last farmer-owner of the house, known in the community as Custódio Prato. Son of farmers with significant assets, Custódio Prato expressed in his will the desire for his house to become a museum.

This wish aligned with the desire of the “Os Camponeses da Beira-Ria” Folkloric Ranch, which sought a space to display its vast collection. The association undertook the task of restoring the old house, dating from the early 19th century, transforming it into the museum space that can be visited today and which perpetuates local memory.

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