Museum of the Abade de Baçal

Bragança

The Museum of the Abade de Baçal is housed in the former Episcopal Palace of Bragança, a building classified as a Property of Public Interest since 1986. Established originally as a regional museum in 1915, it was renamed in honor of the Abade de Baçal (Father Francisco Manuel Alves) in 1935, recognizing his significant contributions to the museum's collections. The museum's extensive collection includes archaeology, numismatics, epigraphy, and ethnography, illustrating the history and culture of the Northeast Trás-os-Montes region. Highlights include prehistoric and protohistoric artifacts such as decorated stelae, ceramics, and metal tools, alongside Roman-era funerary stelae, altars, milestones, agricultural implements, and coins. The museum also preserves important sacred art pieces, including a rare 16th-century pluvial, Baroque sculptures, and the triptych "Martyrdom of Saint Ignatius and the Annunciation." Additionally, it houses Manueline charters, judicial staffs, and standard measures from the 16th century, demonstrating the area's administrative heritage. The collection of traditional masks reflects unique local ritual festivities. Notable donations enrich the museum with 18th and 19th-century civil goldsmith works and Indo-Portuguese furniture. Paintings by Silva Porto, José Malhoa, Aurélia de Sousa, Veloso Salgado, and drawings by Almada Negreiros are also part of the collection, acquired under the direction of Raul Teixeira. The museum's location in the historic Episcopal Palace and its diverse collections make it a key cultural institution for understanding the region's history and artistic heritage.