Casa Museu José Régio

About the museum

The Casa-Museu José Régio occupies the building where the writer José Régio (pen name of José Maria dos Reis Pereira) lived in Portalegre, where he taught Portuguese at the secondary school and lived for more than 30 years. The building, dating from the late 17th century, is thought to have been an annex of the Convento de São Brás and later operated as a guesthouse. The poet first rented a room and gradually took over other rooms as his collection grew, until he was the house's only guest.

Régio was a great collector of sacred art, folk art and crafts. In 1965 he sold his collections to the Câmara Municipal de Portalegre, on condition that the house be acquired, restored and turned into a museum, with him keeping the right of use for the rest of his life. The poet died in 1969 and the museum opened to the public on 23 May 1971.

The route extends over two floors and seventeen permanent exhibition rooms. The poet's bedroom and study keep the atmosphere in which he left them. Among the collections, the highlights are the crucifixes and other sacred art, rustic furniture, faience (notably the “ratinhos” plates from Coimbra), Portalegre clayware, wrought-iron objects and so-called pastoral art. The building has been classified as a Monument of Municipal Interest since 2020.

Highlights

• Poet's bedroom and study, kept as he left them
• Collection of crucifixes and sacred art
• Faience, including the “ratinhos” plates from Coimbra
• Portalegre clayware and rustic furniture
• Pastoral art and wrought-iron objects from the two kitchens

Permanent exhibition

• Coleções do poeta José Régio – Seventeen rooms across two floors show the poet's house and his collections of sacred art, crucifixes, faience, rustic furniture and Alentejo crafts.

Founded

1971

Operated by

Município de Portalegre

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Sundays and public holidays until 13:00

Exemption also applies to teachers and pupils on school visits with prior booking and authorisation from the Câmara, to members of APOM, ICOM and ICOMOS, and to members of the Academia Nacional de Belas Artes.

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