Match Museum "Aquiles da Mota Lima"

Category: Civil Architecture > Museum

District: Santarém > Tomar > Tomar > Quinta do Lima

Location

The «Aquiles da Mota Lima» Matchbox Museum is located in the city of Tomar, housed within the dependencies of the historic Convent of S. Francisco.

This location, within a building of significance, offers visitors an integrated experience within the city's cultural and urban environment, in the area known as Quinta do Lima.

Unique Collection

This museum presents a unique collection dedicated to the world of matches, bringing together around 60,000 pieces, including boxes, labels, and other related items.

It is considered the only museum of its kind in Portugal and one of the largest phillumenist collections in Europe, notable for its vast size and diversity.

History and Culture in Miniature

Through the images and designs present on the collection's pieces, the museum offers a fascinating panorama of the history and culture of various eras and places, presenting them on a reduced scale yet rich in detail.

It also includes information on the evolution of match manufacturing and use in Portugal, from the earliest models to the most recent, revealing the artistic beauty and thematic value (historical, scientific) of these small works.

The Origin of a Passion

The passion for collecting matches that gave rise to this museum began with Aquiles da Mota Lima, a native of Tomar.

His collection began in a curious way, during a boat trip to London in 1953, at the time of Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation, where a fortuitous encounter with another collector sparked his interest. The vast collection was later donated to the Municipality of Tomar.

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