Military Museum of Braganza

Category: Civil Architecture > Museum

District: Bragança > Bragança > Bragança > Sé, Santa Maria e Meixedo

Location

The Military Museum of Bragança is located inside the city's Castle. It occupies the space of the imposing Keep, as well as the surrounding exterior area flanked by the turrets and the Princess Tower. It is situated in the area known as the Citadel, within the union of parishes of Sé, Santa Maria, and Meixedo, in the municipality of Bragança.

Its position within the castle's walled enclosure gives it a unique historical and architectural setting, integrating into the elevated urban landscape that dominates the city.

Historical Collection

The museum houses a collection of historical value that allows visitors to follow the evolution of light weaponry from the 16th century to the mid-20th century. The collection includes rifles, standards, period photographs, military furniture, and instruments of war, as well as pieces from former Portuguese colonies, such as Angola.

A significant part of this heritage comes from donations made by local inhabitants, many of whom participated in historic military campaigns, such as the African Campaigns or World War I. The museum seeks to value and disseminate this military memory linked to the city and its inhabitants.

Architecture and Space

The Military Museum is entirely housed inside the Keep, one of the most emblematic elements of Bragança Castle. The historic building distributes its content across four floors, including sixteen exhibition rooms, a crypt at the base, and a spacious terrace at the top. The tower's centuries-old structure, with its exterior turrets, provides a unique atmosphere for the visit.

Interesting architectural details can be observed inside, such as the Gothic-style twin windows that illuminate some of the rooms. The Keep reaches approximately 33 meters in height, dominating the surrounding citadel landscape.

Panoramic Views

From the terrace at the top of the Keep, accessible to visitors, a vast panorama of the region unfolds. It is possible to contemplate the surrounding mountain ranges, such as Nogueira, Montesinho, and Coroa, and to spot the peaks of the Sanábria region and the Leonese lands, already in Spain.

In addition to the natural landscape, the elevated vantage point offers broad perspectives over the city of Bragança, encompassing its historic area (the old city) and the newer zones (the lower city), as well as the hills that surround it. It is a privileged observation point over the Trás-os-Montes territory and beyond its borders.

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