Category: Civil Architecture > Museum
District: Beja > Castro Verde > Castro Verde > São Sebastião
The Lucerna Museum is located in Castro Verde, a town in Lower Alentejo, in the São Sebastião area. It is situated in the central part of the village, in Largo Vitor Prazeres, an easily accessible and landmark point within the local urban environment. Its position in the heart of the town offers a tranquil setting, inviting visitors to discover its collection.
This museum is exclusively dedicated to the world of Roman oil lamps, clay lighting instruments. Its collection, comprising almost a thousand specimens, is remarkably rich, recognized as one of the largest and most significant worldwide. The exhibited oil lamps date from the 1st to 3rd centuries AD, and the vast majority of pieces are unique, displaying a wide range of decorative motifs.
Visitors can observe representations of daily life in the Roman era, scenes inspired by classical mythology, and figures of various animals and objects. This decorative diversity offers a fascinating glimpse into the art, beliefs, and customs of a distant past.
The vast collection of oil lamps originated from significant archaeological discoveries made in 1994, near the locality of Santa Bárbara de Padrões. These objects were found in a place presumed to have been a bouthros, a type of deposit associated with a Roman sanctuary that would have existed in the vicinity.
Within the museum space, it is possible to understand the complexity of these discoveries through the recreation of a "lamp ditch," a representation of the site where thousands of these lamps were deposited over approximately four hundred years. The museum provides an in-depth view of the production methods of the oil lamps, the different forms they took, and even the names of the potters who created them, as well as the symbols they used to mark their pieces.
In addition to its exhibition function, the Lucerna Museum plays an active role as a research center for these archaeological pieces. Its collection and documentation serve as a basis for study by specialists and students, featuring a detailed scientific catalog for consultation.
The museum also hosts thematic and temporary exhibitions, frequently centered on the history of the Roman period. This dynamic contributes to deepening knowledge and valuing archaeological heritage, positioning the Lucerna Museum as a hub of knowledge and culture in Castro Verde.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 37.696728,-8.0818506
Coordinates DMS: 37°41'48.2"N 08°04'54.7"W
Weather Castro Verde
On-duty Pharmacy Castro Verde
