Casa de Camilo – Museu . Centro de Estudos

About the museum

The house in São Miguel de Seide was built around 1830 with money earned in Brazil. The writer Camilo Castelo Branco moved in during the winter of 1863 and lived there with Ana Plácido and the family until his death on 1 June 1890. Much of his work was written in this house.

After a fire in 1915, the building was rebuilt and opened to the public in 1922 as the Museu Camiliano, which makes it the oldest house museum in Portugal. The reconstruction changed some features of the house, partly because the parish primary school operated on the ground floor. Works in the 1950s restored the original layout and recreated the interiors as they were in the 19th century.

The house has been classified as a Property of Public Interest since 1978 and has been part of the Portuguese Museum Network since 2001. In 2022 the reconstruction of the Casa dos Caseiros (caretakers' house) and the redevelopment of the estate were completed. Next to the museum is the Centro de Estudos, designed by the architect Álvaro Siza Vieira, with an auditorium, reading rooms, a space for temporary exhibitions and a café. The house can be visited on guided tours.

Highlights

• Oldest house museum in Portugal, opened in 1922
• Recreated interiors: bedrooms, study, kitchen and dining room of Camilo's family
• Rocking chair in which the writer took his own life, and the couple's work desk
• Part of Camilo's private library
• Study centre designed by Álvaro Siza Vieira

Permanent exhibitions

• Casa de Camilo (visita orientada) – Guided visit to the recreated interiors of the house where Camilo Castelo Branco lived from 1863 to 1890, with furniture, personal objects, portraits and part of his library.
• Camillo: Leitores, Amores e Humores – Exhibition in the ground-floor gallery, created as part of the project “Camillo – Rotas do Escritor” (Camillo – Routes of the Writer).

Founded

1922

Operated by

Município de Vila Nova de Famalicão

Admission & discounts

Price of the guided tour, per person. Free admission for school groups and for residents of the municipality of Vila Nova de Famalicão. Each tour has a maximum of 15 people. Tickets can be bought at the museum or through the contact form.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

The education department organises workshops for pre-school and 1st-cycle primary school children, the visit-workshop “Álbum de família” (Family Album) for families (2 to 10 participants), and holiday workshops for children aged 3 to 12.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

• Café

The Study Centre next to the museum includes a café.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit