Description of the attraction
The Puppet Museum is the only and unique museum of its kind in Portugal. The museum is located in a beautiful and ancient building of the former Bernardas monastery. The collection of the museum has about four thousand exhibits from more than 30 countries of the world.
The exposition of the museum is completely devoted to the history of puppets and puppet theaters. Some puppets in the form of figures of knights, princesses, jesters and even devils date back to the 17th-18th centuries. In addition to traditional Portuguese puppets, the museum exhibits the famous collection of African and Asian puppets and masks by collector Francisco Capelo. Also, museum guests can see oriental masks and puppets from such exotic places as the islands of Java and Bali, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Japan and China. Among the exhibits there are traditional Russian dolls and puppets from Sicily. A highlight of the museum is the collection of artifacts from famous European and Portuguese puppet families.
The museum often hosts puppet shows, as well as master classes for those who are interested in the process and technology of making puppets. There are videos of performances, ceremonies, shows, celebrations and performances in which the puppets take part. The museum has a specially designated area for children where they can play with dolls.
