Museu da Quinta de Santiago

About the museum

The Museu da Quinta de Santiago occupies a house completed, it is believed, in 1896 as the residence of the Santiago de Carvalho e Sousa family, to a design by the Italian architect Nicola Bigaglia. The building bears witness to the urban and social changes that marked Matosinhos and Leça da Palmeira at the end of the 19th century and throughout the 20th century. The museum, run by the Matosinhos municipal council and opened in 1996, aims to preserve and promote the historical memory of the city through art.

The museum has been part of the Rede Portuguesa de Museus since 2003 and is one of the founding spaces of the MuMa, the Matosinhos Museum Network. Since 2010 the estate has comprised three buildings: the museum, the Espaço Irene Vilar, with an auditorium and an education service, and the Casa do Bosque, where the Cascata Gigante (Giant Waterfall) is installed, a reconstruction of early 20th-century Leça donated to the museum.

The first floor of the museum shows local and social history and gives insight into the way of life at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. The second floor hosts long-term exhibitions with works from the municipal art collection, among them paintings by António Carneiro, Agostinho Salgado, Augusto Gomes, Aurélia de Souza and Joaquim Lopes. In the garden surrounding the building there are sculptures by Siza Vieira, Rui Anahory and Lagoa Henriques.

Highlights

• 1896 palacete designed by Nicola Bigaglia
• First floor devoted to the local and social history of Matosinhos and Leça
• Works by António Carneiro, Agostinho Salgado, Augusto Gomes, Aurélia de Souza and Joaquim Lopes
• Cascata Gigante at the Casa do Bosque
• Garden with sculptures by Siza Vieira, Rui Anahory and Lagoa Henriques
• Theatrical, animated and after-dark visits

Permanent exhibitions

• História local e social (1.º piso) – Interiors that evoke the way of life at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century in Matosinhos and Leça da Palmeira.
• Exposições de longa duração de arte (2.º piso) – Works from the municipal art collection, with paintings by António Carneiro, Agostinho Salgado, Augusto Gomes, Aurélia de Souza and Joaquim Lopes.
• Cascata Gigante – Reconstruction of about 15 m² of early 20th-century Leça, installed at the Casa do Bosque.

Founded

1996

Operated by

Câmara Municipal de Matosinhos

Admission & discounts

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum has a seat lift with belt (120 kg capacity) and a support wheelchair for floors 1 and 2. The garden is only partly accessible, as it has very steep paths. The toilets of the museum and the auditorium are adapted. The education service offers tactile boards for blind visitors and workshops adapted for groups with special needs.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Kids’ birthday parties

Exhibition exploration workshops from age 4, the trail “À descoberta da casa!” (ages 6 to 12), the Domingo de Famílias on the first Sunday of each month, birthday parties for children aged 6 to 12, and visits to the Cascata Gigante with activities.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

The museum has a shop. There are outdoor sculptures in the garden.

Events & venue rental

The Espaço Irene Vilar has a multipurpose auditorium.

Plan your visit