Sacavém Ceramics Museum

Category: Civil Architecture > Museum

District: Lisboa > Loures > Sacavém > Real Forte

Location

The Sacavém Ceramics Museum is located in the town of Sacavém, part of the municipality of Loures. It is situated in the area known as Real Forte, on a historically significant site: it was built on the former grounds of the historic Sacavém Pottery Factory, forming part of the urban development that emerged there after the industry's closure.

Origin and Industrial Legacy

This museum's origin is deeply intertwined with Sacavém's industrial history. It was created to preserve the memory of the Sacavém Pottery Factory, a ceramic production unit that significantly influenced national and European output, especially in the 19th and 20th centuries. Founded by Manuel Joaquim Afonso around 1858, the factory gained great notoriety, partly driven by the management of foreign families such as the Howorths, Gilmans, and Gilberts. The museum is dedicated to telling this story and valuing the legacy of the factory, which operated on this site until 1994, as well as the industrial heritage of the municipality of Loures.

Architecture and Preserved Symbol

The building housing the museum is a modern construction, yet it integrates a fundamental element of the past: Kiln 18. This kiln is the last physical vestige remaining from the old Sacavém Pottery Factory. It is a remarkable example of industrial architecture of its time, belonging to the type known as a bottle kiln, characteristic of the factory landscape during the Industrial Revolution.

Collection and Narrative

The museum's exhibition path guides visitors through the history of the Sacavém Pottery Factory and its extensive production. One can see the diversity and quality of the fine earthenware produced here, which gained recognition in Portugal and Europe. The permanent exhibitions cover the main moments in the factory's history, from its founding, exploring the materials used, such as high-purity kaolin, and the manufacturing processes. The museum holds an important collection of pieces and documents, which recount the evolution of ceramic art and work at this site.

A Knowledge Center

In addition to the exhibition spaces, the museum houses the Manuel Joaquim Afonso Documentation Centre. This centre constitutes a valuable archive dedicated to the industrial heritage of the municipality of Loures, including a vast collection of documents from the Sacavém Pottery Factory and other industries in the region. It is an important place for research and for deepening knowledge about the economic, social, and artistic history linked to ceramics and local industry.

European Recognition

The quality and relevance of the work developed by the museum have been recognized internationally. In 2002, the Sacavém Ceramics Museum was awarded the prestigious Luigi Micheletti Award, in the category of Best European Museum of the Year dedicated to Industrial Heritage. This award underlines the museum's importance in safeguarding and disseminating the industrial history of the region and ceramic art.

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