History and Ethnology Museum of Maia Land

Category: Civil Architecture > Museum

District: Porto > Maia > Castêlo da Maia > Areosa

Location

The Museum of History and Ethnology of Terra da Maia is located in the town of Castêlo da Maia, in a central area. Its location allows direct access from the N14, an important road in the region. At the back of the building, there is a park and Monte de Santo Ovídio, which mark the surrounding landscape of the site.

The Building with a Past

The museum is housed in a building with a rich history. Its origins probably date back to the 18th or early 19th century. For a long time, this property had a central function in local administrative life, serving as the Maia City Hall until 1902.

After ceasing to be the municipal seat, the building was adapted for various other uses throughout the 20th century, serving, for example, as a primary school, headquarters for local associations, and even as a post office. Its transformation into a municipal museum in 2001 realized the ambition of creating a space dedicated to preserving the memory of Terra da Maia.

The Collections That Tell the Story

The museum's collection focuses on presenting the history and ethnology of the region known as Terra da Maia. The core of the collection is the Moreira de Figueiredo ethnographic collection, gathered in the 1970s and 80s with the aim of documenting local rural life and daily routines.

This ethnographic collection includes about 200 objects illustrating traditional agricultural activities, such as flax and cereal cycles, and animal harnessing systems. The collection has been enriched with artifacts related to old technologies, such as water transport, and objects that evoke professions and knowledge that have disappeared over time. The museum also has a historical and an archaeological collection, which complement the portrayal of the region's past from the earliest times.

A Look at Local Identity

The museum's main purpose is to promote the knowledge and appreciation of the identity and heritage of Terra da Maia. Through its exhibitions, it seeks to engage visitors in discovering the experiences and traditions of this specific geographical area, located between the River Ave and the River Douro. It is a space that invites an understanding of how the local community developed and preserved its cultural legacy throughout generations.

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