Description of the attraction
The Abbot of Basalis Museum, one of the most famous museums in the country, is housed in a former 17th century bishop's palace. The palace was rebuilt several times. There is a beautiful garden nearby, where museum exhibits are also exhibited - archaeological finds, sculptures, etc.
The museum is named after the Bishop of Basal, Abbot Francisco Manuel Alves, who was a renowned scientist and archaeologist. His research on the history and traditions of the Traz-us-Montish region has been published in 11 volumes. He was also an avid collector of religious art and many other things.
In 1915, a museum was founded, based on the findings of the Bishop of Basal. In 1935, the museum was awarded the title of Museum of the Abbot of Basal. Among the exhibits are numismatic rare objects, medieval instruments of torture, sculpture and ceramics of the 15-20th centuries, traditional costumes and Indo-Portuguese paintings and interior items from the 18-20th centuries. Attention is drawn to the paintings and photographs that depict the daily life of Traz-us-Montes province up to the present day.
In the museum you can also see paintings by the famous Portuguese artist Aurelia di Sosa, other contemporary artists, as well as the anonymous triptych "The Torment of St. Ignatius" of the 16th century.
The museum was reconstructed several times. The last one was in 2006, and in December of the same year, visitors were able to enjoy the exhibits again.
