Rural Museum of Taião

Category: Civil Architecture > Museum

District: Viana do Castelo > Valença > Ozão

Location

The Taião Rural Museum is located in the parish of Taião, in the municipality of Valença, belonging to the district of Viana do Castelo. Its implantation in this locality is fundamental, as Taião reveals itself as a mountain village, whose territory extends to the top of the Serra do Mineral. This unique geographical setting contributes to a deep understanding of the context of life and the activities that shaped the communities represented here over the centuries.

The Legacy of a Community

This museum was conceived with the central purpose of preserving and disseminating the cultural richness of Taião. It presents itself as a space dedicated to the identity, traditions, and customs of the local people. It is a starting point for exploring the arts and cultural manifestations that shaped the life of this mountain village, functioning as a living archive of its collective memory and a guardian of its intangible heritage.

Collections and Rural Life

The museum's exhibition route guides the visitor through the traditional life of the region, through a collection of about five hundred pieces, largely donated by the inhabitants themselves. One of the collection's greatest highlights is the Traje da Taionesa, an emblematic piece of clothing that reflects the originality and local cultural heritage, also preserving the heritage of the former Taião Folk Dance Group. The recreation of the Casa Taionesa allows a glimpse into a typical domestic environment, illustrating daily habits and common utensils. The section dedicated to the Countryside details the agricultural and pastoral practices that characterized life in the mountain village. Finally, the space on Tungsten recalls the history and memories of the mining exploitation that significantly marked the region.

Memory in a Historic Building

The Taião Rural Museum is housed in a building with a history of its own, which once served as the old parish residence of the parish. Since its foundation in 1996, the space has undergone a significant requalification intervention. This work allowed for the reorganization and equipping of the museum environment, ensuring the dignity of the exhibition of its vast ethnographic collection and the modernization of the facilities, making it a welcoming and informative space for all who visit it.

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