Museum of Rivers and Maritime Arts

Category: Civil Architecture > Museum

District: Santarém > Constância > Constância > Zona Histórica

Location

The museum is located in the historic area of the village of Constância, in a place that reflects the community's strong connection to the Tejo (Tagus) and Zêzere rivers. It is housed in a renovated building, integrated into a pleasant garden where some large-scale pieces linked to the world of boats that sailed these rivers can be observed. Its position in the historic urban fabric underlines the importance that river life had for the development of the village.

A History Shaped by Rivers

For centuries, life in Constância was inseparably linked to the Tejo (Tagus) and Zêzere rivers. The village developed around a highly relevant river port, which boosted the local economy through activities such as merchandise transport, shipbuilding, and fishing. This way of life, which remained vibrant until the mid-20th century, left deep marks on the village's identity and heritage. The Museum of Rivers and Maritime Arts was born with the mission of preserving, studying, and disseminating this heritage, which would otherwise risk being lost.

The Riverine Arts Collection

The museum's collection consists mostly of riverine ethnography pieces that bear witness to daily activities and professions linked to the rivers. Inside, visitors will find different exhibition nuclei. There is an area dedicated to fishing, displaying various instruments and nets. River transport, which was the most important activity for the people of Constância, is represented by miniatures of traditional vessels, such as the varino, and a variety of objects used in navigation. Shipbuilding also has its space, where a caulker's shipyard is recreated, exhibiting tools and even a boat under construction, illustrating the knowledge passed down through generations.

Faith and Tradition: The Feast of Our Lady of Good Voyage

Life on the river, often arduous and perilous, forged strong bonds of devotion in the riverside communities. In Constância, Nossa Senhora da Boa Viagem (Our Lady of Good Voyage) became the patroness of seafarers. The museum dedicates a section to the history and significance of the Feast in honor of the patroness, organized annually. Old documentation and photographs illustrate this secular tradition, which was a central moment in the lives of the river people and which, in an adapted form, still remains today as a symbol of the village's connection to its fluvial history and its people.

A Building with Memory

To house the collection that tells the story of life on the river, an old building, previously with other functions, was rehabilitated. This space was transformed to create a museological environment that allows the fluvial heritage to be presented in an organized and accessible way. The building itself, with its recovery, is part of the heritage preservation narrative, offering a dedicated place for the safekeeping and dissemination of the memories of the arts that developed on the banks of the Tejo (Tagus) and Zêzere rivers.

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