Museum of Geodesy

Category: Civil Architecture > Museum

District: Castelo Branco > Vila de Rei > Vila de Rei

Location

The Geodesy Museum is located at the summit of Picoto da Melriça, in Vila de Rei, a point of particular significance as it marks the Geodetic Centre of Portugal. This elevated location offers visitors a remarkable 360-degree panoramic view of the surrounding landscape, allowing them to spot the Serra da Lousã and, on clear days, the distant Serra da Estrela, almost a hundred kilometres away. It is a place that invites observation of the vastness of the territory.

The Science of Measuring the Earth

This museum is a unique space in the country, entirely dedicated to geodesy, the science that studies the Earth's shape, dimensions, and gravitational field. Opened in 2002, the museum was born from a partnership between the Directorate-General for Territory and the Vila de Rei Municipal Council. Its objective is to preserve and disseminate the vast historical and scientific legacy left by great Portuguese scientists, whose works were essential for the modernization of national geodesy. The museum also serves as an educational tool, stimulating knowledge in areas such as mathematics, physics, and engineering.

A Historical and Instrumental Journey

Inside the Geodesy Museum, visitors are invited on a journey through time and space via a permanent exhibition. This display features a collection of geodetic instruments, some of which are centuries old, such as the Brito Limpo Precision Level or the Repsold Transit Instrument. Informative panels detail crucial moments in the history of cartography in Portugal and the pioneering role of Picoto da Melriça, from the first fundamental triangulations initiated in the 18th century by Francisco António Ciera, to more recent observations, including the use of the GPS system in the 1990s.

Architecture and Landscape Integration

The architectural design of the museum was conceived to integrate harmoniously with the natural surroundings. Access to the building's interior is via a metal ramp, and a glazed corridor provides a direct visual connection with Picoto da Melriça and the geodetic marker that crowns it. This design allows the interior exhibition space and the exterior landscape to complement each other, offering a continuous perspective between the history of geodesy and the physical point that symbolises the centre of Portuguese territory.

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