Description of the attraction
The Palace Museum of the Counts of Castro Guimaraes is located in the ancient port city of Cascais, where fishing flourished in ancient times. Later the city became a famous tourist and resort center, but fishing is still an important industry for this city.
The Gothic-style museum is located in the former residence of the counts of Castro Guimaraes. The building is located on the seashore, and when the tide is high, the waves reach its walls.
The whimsical building of the palace was built in 1892 by the order of the wealthy Irish aristocrat George O'Neil by the architect Francisco Vilatz. The result is a beautiful, romantic Renaissance building. Later, when due to bankruptcy the aristocrat had to sell the palace, it was acquired by Count Castro-Guimaraes. The palace was significantly expanded. In 1927, after the count died and there were no heirs, the palace passed to the state and in 1931 it was transformed into a museum. Nearby there is the Chapel of St. Sebastian and the luxurious English-style garden with a small zoo.
The museum is renowned for its huge library of over 25,000 books, most of which date from the 17th century, and over 1,500 illustrated manuscripts. One of the most valuable copies of the library is the 16th century manuscript of the Chronicle of King Afonso Henriques by Duarti Galvan. The museum exhibits a rich collection of furniture, including Indo-Portuguese, porcelain and sculptures of the 16th-20th centuries, jewelry from Portugal and French silverware of the 17th-19th centuries.
