Casa do Moscadim

About the museum

The Casa do Moscadim is on Rua Direita de São Pedro, the main street of the town of Chamusca. It is a manor house in the typical style of the second half of the 18th century, considered unique in the town and one of the most important in the region. It stands out for the azulejo tile decoration in all its rooms, attributed to the Real Fábrica do Rato or the Bica do Sapato factory, in the taste of Queen Maria I, with panels of landscape medallions in the drawing room and dining room. The most unusual panels are two figures of invitation, a man and a woman, dressed in the fashion of the late 18th century (the 1790s), on the two flights of the grand staircase. The male figure represents a “muscadin”, a typical figure of the period after the French Revolution, and it gave the house its name. The central room of the upper floor also has mural painting in the Pillement style.

The house belonged to several figures of local society in the service of the Casa das Rainhas (Queens' Household). In the second half of the 19th century it was acquired and remodelled by the landowner Manuel Mendes da Cunha, who gave it to his daughter on her marriage to the physician Carlos Pina Machado, a name that became associated with the house. The residential area connects with the service areas, such as the kitchen, the former stables, the cellars and the granaries.

At the beginning of the 19th century the house played a central role in national history. During the Third French Invasion, Marshal William Beresford set up his headquarters here, and between late 1810 and early 1811 the military orders that led to the victory of the Anglo-Portuguese forces were issued from this house. Today the house is visited with a guide, as part of a heritage promotion project by the company Patrimonium.

Highlights

• Azulejo decoration in all the rooms
• Figures of invitation on the grand staircase
• Mural painting in the Pillement style
• Headquarters of Marshal Beresford in 1810–1811
• Visits always guided

Permanent exhibition

• Casa senhorial do século XVIII – Guided visit through the rooms of the house, with its azulejo decoration, the figures of invitation on the staircase and the mural painting on the upper floor.

Operated by

Patrimonium – Gestão e Promoção de Bens Culturais

Admission & discounts

General ticket: €12. Tickets are sold only on the Patrimonium website. Once a visit is booked, the date and time cannot be changed and no refund is given.

Accessibility

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

The house has no visitor toilet.

Kids & families

Only partly suitable for kidsRecommended for ages 12+

Minors aged 12 and over may visit the house, but only when accompanied by an adult.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

• Coat check: not available

There is no cloakroom or visitor toilet. Backpacks, travel bags and umbrellas are not admitted in the rooms.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit