Museum of Aveiro

Category: Civil Architecture > Museum

District: Aveiro > Aveiro > Aveiro > Misericórdia

Location

The Aveiro Museum is located in the Misericórdia area, in the heart of Aveiro city. Its central urban position makes it easily accessible, inviting a peaceful exploration of the surrounding area and the building itself, which integrates harmoniously into the city's landscape.

A Centenary History

The building housing the Aveiro Museum is the former Convent of Jesus of the Dominican Nuns, one of the oldest in the locality, with roots dating back to the second half of the 15th century. This space gained particular prominence with the entry of Princess D. Joana, daughter of D. Afonso V, in 1472. Her life of devotion and holiness profoundly marked the convent, leading to her beatification in 1693 and associating the prestige of the place with the presence and worship of Saint Princess Joana.

Throughout the 16th to 18th centuries, the convent underwent successive works of expansion and artistic enrichment. With the extinction of religious orders in 1834, the female cloister was maintained until 1874. Later, in 1882, the building was handed over to the Dominican Third Order and transformed into the College of Saint Joana. After the establishment of the Republic in 1910, the monastery was closed and the church classified as a national monument. The Aveiro Museum was then installed on this site in 1911, preserving its remarkable heritage.

Architecture and Sacred Art

A visit to the Aveiro Museum unfolds through a route that reveals the architectural and artistic richness of the former convent. On the ground floor, one can observe the lower choir, where the tomb of Saint Princess Joana rests, a masterpiece of Baroque art in multicoloured marble, with sculptural elements of Italian inspiration, authored by the royal architect João Antunes. The Church of Jesus is a remarkable example of Baroque exuberance, with sumptuous gilded carving and Portuguese tile panels covering its walls. The main chapel was designed by renowned carvers and sculptors such as António Gomes and José Correia, and by the painter Manuel Ferreira e Sousa.

The cloister, dating from the late 15th and early 16th centuries, is another point of interest, with its chapels and chapter house. The refectory stands out for its graceful reading tribune and walls also covered with tiles. On the upper floor, the cloister leads to the upper choir and adjacent devotional chapels, offering different perspectives on this historic space.

Collection and Memory

In addition to the monumentality of the convent, the Aveiro Museum houses a permanent exhibition that includes a significant collection of paintings, sculptures, carved wood, tiles, and gold and silver work, dating from the 14th to the 19th centuries. These pieces mainly come from extinct convents in Aveiro and other regions of the country. The exhibition also includes remains of the old convent, such as the Workroom (Sala de Lavor) and the Chapel of the Lord of the Steps (Capela do Senhor dos Passos).

The museum's collection is complemented by collections of Ceramics, Glass, Metals, and Archaeology, as well as a collection of Ancient Books and Manuscripts, which include fundamental documents about the history of the convent's foundation and the life of Saint Princess Joana. Walking through the cloister's arcades, observing the contrast of colours on the church altars, or touching the stones of the dormitory, allows for an immersion in the serene atmosphere and the historical legacy of this remarkable Dominican space.

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