Museu Arqueológico da Sociedade Martins Sarmento, Guimarães
The Museu Arqueológico da Sociedade Martins Sarmento in Guimarães is located just outside the UNESCO World Heritage listed historic centre of the city.
The museum is one of the oldest in Portugal dating back to 1885. It exhibits a wide collection of the thousands of pieces gathered during his lifetime by the renown archaeologist Martins Sarmento (1833-1899).
History
Martins Sarmento is known for his work on the pre-Roman settlements of the Iron Age fort Citânia de Briteiros and the Celtic settlement of Castro de Sabroso, both close to Guimarães.
Sarmento began his work at Citânia de Briteiros in 1875 and the museum was inaugurated a decade later to house his excavations.
The building is the former 14th century Gothic convent of São Domingos with the exhibits displayed both in interior galleries and outside in the convent's courtyards.
Exhibits
The museum has a superb collection of mainly pre-Roman Celtiberian and Roman period pieces.
These include Roman columns, milestones and stele as well as Celtic grave stones.
The upper gallery houses the Pre- and Proto Historic Industries section. On display are ancient ceramics (both Roman and Celtic domestic pieces), stone tools, Roman tiles, grave pieces, amphorae, bronze axes, spearheads and other weapons.
The glass display cases also show a remarkable variety of Roman bricks, clay drainage pipes, glass ware and oil lamps along with bronze items (pins, buckles, brooches) and silver coins. There are also items made from iron: axes, keys, nails etc.
The lower galleries as well as the museum's staircases house the collections of Epigraphy and Ancient Sculpture exhibits from Citânia de Briteiros and Castro de Sabroso including pieces from the Roman occupation of Portugal. These include inscriptions, Roman milestones, Celtic millstones, pedestals, stone altars and tombstones.
Also among the over 200 pieces evocative of Portugal's early history are various items of sculpture, funerary stones and statues of Galician-Lusitanian warriors from Fafe and Felgueiras.
Furthermore, the museum houses an important library and archive with thousands of original documents from the 12th century on.
Access
Rua Paio Galvão
4814-509 Guimarães
Tel: 351 253 415 969
Admission: fee with concessions for students and people over 65 years of age; the Museu Arqueológico da Sociedade Martins Sarmento can also be entered using the Guimarães Pass (15 Euros or 18 Euros with the Teleférico).
Hours: 9.30 am - 12.30 pm; 2.30 pm - 5.30 pm Tuesday - Friday; 10 am - 12.30 pm; 2 pm - 5.30 pm weekends.
Nearby
The museum is close to the Centro Internacional das Artes José de Guimarães and the Casa da Memória.
Hotels in Guimarães include the four star Santa Luzia ArtHotel, the four star EMAJ Boutique Hotel and the Hotel da Oliveira, also four star.
Other places to stay in the city include the four star Hotel de Guimarães and the pleasant Stay Hotel Guimarães Centro, adjacent to the railway station. The budget HI Hostel Guimarães - Pousada de Juventude is a cheaper option.
