This stamp issue accompanies the release of the second volume of Portugal’s Centenary Museums, which covers the twelve institutions established between 1905 and 1918, introduced in this text.
São Roque Museum, opened in 1905, in Lisbon, initially focused on the Treasure of St. John the Baptist’s Chapel. Today, silver and goldsmithery, paraments, painting, sculpture, reliquaries and oriental art can be seen among the most expressive segments of a collection that weaves into one single strand history, religion, architecture and art, establishing a line of continuity through the centuries.
Opened to the public in May 1905 in the old Royal Stables of Belém Palace, the collection of the National Coach Museum brings together sumptuous vehicles, equestrian adornments, uniforms, harnesses andpainting. Housed in a new building since 2015, here you will nd whatis considered to be the most important collection of coaches in the world. The Francisco Tavares Proença Júnior Museum was created in 1910, months before the proclamation of the Republic, on the initiative of the archaeologist after whom the museum was later named. The sections on archaeology, historical quilts from Castelo Branco and the art collection of the Episcopal Palace, motherhouse of this museum since 1971, make it well worth a visit.
Located in Chiado, in Lisbon, the National Museum of Contemporary Artwas established in 1911 and temporarily housed in the old São Francisco Convent, which it never left. From 1850 to the present day, it has brought together the most wide-ranging collection of Portuguese contemporary art. Created in 1911 by a decree of the Republic, the Aveiro Museum / St Joannawas based in the city's old Convent of Jesus. It built its identity around thegure of St Joanna, Princess of Portugal (1452-1490), who lived and diedthere, as well as a collection of sacred art, where woodwork, painting and sculpture take a leading role in a wide-ranging collection.
Sculpture and silver and goldsmithery stand out among the vast collections of the Machado de Castro National Museum, which openedin Coimbra in 1911. The magni cent Roman cryptoporticus is a highlight not to be missed. In 2019, it was classi ed as World Heritage.
The Father Manuel do Cenáculo National Museum, in Évora, was established in 1915, focusing on the collections brought together by FriarManuel do Cenáculo (1724-1814) in the city’s public library, later enhancedby the addition of part of the art collections belonging to the region’s former convents and Évora Cathedral, as well as an archaeological section.
Opened in 1915 and based in the old Episcopal Palace in Bragança, theAbbot of Baçal Museum is a real treasure trove of memories of the vast region in which it is located: the northeastern Trás-os-Montes.
Sacred art plays a prominent role in the Grão Vasco National Museum, established in 1916. The painting collection, the most expressive of all thesections, includes altarpieces by the painter Vasco Fernandes (circa 1475- -1542), the (great) Grão Vasco.
Focusing on the gure of Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro (1846-1905), the rstmonographic museum in the country opened in Lisbon in 1916. The collection of the Bordalo Pinheiro Museum is based on the artist’s graphic work and ceramics.
Established in 1917, the Lamego Museum was temporarily based in the city’s old episcopal palace, which it never left. Sacred art, Flemish tapestries and archaeology are three highlights in a surprising collection.
Created in 1918, the Diogo de Sousa Archaeological Museum was reinvigorated by the excavations of the ancient Roman city of Bracara Augusta, which began in the late 1970s. Boasting its own laboratory, the new building houses a vast collection focused on a timeline that extends from the Palaeolithic era to the Middle Ages.
Cristina Cordeiro
Author of the book Portugal’s Centenary Museums – 2nd Volume
