Category: Civil Architecture > Museum
District: Coimbra > Figueira da Foz > Figueira da Foz > Buarcos e São Julião
The museum is located in the heart of Figueira da Foz, situated within the urban area of Buarcos and São Julião. It is close to Parque das Abadias and next to the Centro de Artes e Espectáculos (Arts and Entertainment Centre), easily accessible for those exploring the city on foot.
Created in 1894 by António dos Santos Rocha, an archaeologist from Figueira, the Municipal Museum was founded with the purpose of safeguarding archaeological findings from excavations carried out in the region. It quickly became a reference institution, gaining national and even international recognition in its early years, largely thanks to the work of its founder and the local Archaeological Society.
Over time, the museum changed premises. The current building, inaugurated in the 1970s, was designed by the Figueira-born architect Isaías Cardoso with the support of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, marking a new phase in its history and allowing for the more appropriate exhibition and study of its collections.
The museum presents visitors with a diverse set of collections that tell different stories. It is possible to find archaeological pieces, which bear witness to the ancient history of the municipality and the region, originating from the excavations that gave rise to the museum. There are also sections dedicated to sculpture (including religious art and contemporary pieces), historical weaponry, ethnography from different parts of the world such as Africa and the Orient, and also examples of furniture (such as Indo-Portuguese), ceramics, and numismatics.
Beyond the permanent exhibition halls, the museum keeps a large quantity of objects in its reserves that are not usually on public display. It is possible, by prior appointment, to visit these reserve spaces. This visit offers a different and unique perspective, as some pieces are arranged in old display cases, evoking the museum's atmosphere in its early days, at the end of the 19th century, and recalling, for example, the old Cabinet of Curiosities that existed in the 20th century, with objects of various natures.
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt
Coordinates DD: 40.1524429,-8.8607675
Coordinates DMS: 40°09'8.8"N 08°51'38.8"W
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