Museu Nacional de Soares dos Reis

Museu Nacional de Soares dos Reis, Porto

The Museu Nacional de Soares dos Reis is housed in the historic 18th century Carrancas Palace close to the Jardim do Palácio de Cristal.

History

The Museu Nacional de Soares dos Reis was Portugal's first national museum and opened in 1833 as the Museum Portuense to house the works of art confiscated by the state from dissolved monasteries in Porto and throughout Portugal.

The museum moved to the Carrancas Palace in 1942, a building designed by architect Joaquim da Costa Lima Sampaio from 1795, as a residence and factory for the Moraes e Castro family. Joaquim da Costa Lima Sampaio was also the architect of the Feitoria Inglesa and the nearby Hospital de Santo António.

The building served as the HQ of the French army and later the Duke of Wellington during part of the Peninsular War. A bust of Wellington on a plinth on the pavement stands nearby.

Museu Nacional de Soares dos Reis, Portugal. — Museu Nacional de Soares dos Reis, Porto

Museu Nacional de Soares dos Reis, Porto, Portugal. — Museu Nacional de Soares dos Reis

Exhibits

The Museu Nacional de Soares dos Reis displays a collection of the works of Portuguese sculptor António Soares dos Reis (1847-1899), after whom the museum is named, as well as a vast collection of art, both foreign and domestic from the 16th-20th centuries.

The museum includes exhibits of ceramics, engraving, furniture, glassware, gold and silver work, jewelry and textiles. Works by such famous Portuguese artists as António Teixeira Carneiro, João Marques da Silva Oliveira, António Carvalho da Silva and José Tagarro are on display.

The Museu Nacional de Soares dos Reis includes a museum shop and cafeteria.

Access & Hours

Museu Nacional de Soares dos Reis
Palácio dos Carrancas
Rua D. Manuel II 4050-342 Porto
Tel: 222 082 851

Hours: Tuesday 2 pm-6 pm; Wednesday to Sunday 10 am-6 pm; closed Monday

Admission: 5 Euros; free on Sunday and public holidays until 2 pm. Reductions for holders of the Porto Card.

Access: Porto buses 18, 200, 201, 207, 300, 301, 302, 303, 501, 507, 601 and 602 all pass close to the museum.

Nearby

The museum is close to the Jardins do Palácio de Cristal. Within the gardens are the Almeida Garrett Municipal Library and the Museu Romântico da Quinta da Macieirinha.