Museu Arqueológico de São Miguel de Odrinhas
Municipal archaeology museum with one of the most important collections of Roman inscribed stone slabs in the Iberian Peninsula and archaeological finds from the municipality of Sintra.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum's origins go back to the mid-16th century, when some scholars, among them Francisco de Holanda, began to gather Roman inscriptions from the surrounding fields and villages next to the hermitage of São Miguel de Odrinhas. After centuries of neglect, the Câmara Municipal de Sintra had a small house built in 1955 to shelter the pieces, and excavated and enhanced the Roman ruins next to the site.
The stone collection now has more than 400 pieces, to which are added thousands of coins, ceramics and objects of stone, metal and bone, coming almost all from archaeological sites in the municipality of Sintra. The exhibition is organised in two areas: the epigraphic section, covering more than two millennia, from the Etruscan period to the early modern age, and the archaeological section, from the Middle Palaeolithic to the 18th century, with emphasis on the Neolithic, the Chalcolithic and the Roman period.
The museum's team also works at Alto da Vigia, near Praia das Maçãs, where it confirmed the existence of a monumental Roman sanctuary and discovered Islamic remains of a ribat.
Highlights
- One of the most important collections of Roman inscribed slabs in the Iberian Peninsula
- More than 400 epigraphic pieces
- Archaeological section from the Palaeolithic to the 18th century
- Roman ruins next to the museum
- Free admission
Permanent exhibitions
- Secção epigráfica – Inscriptions and inscribed slabs from the Etruscan period to the early modern age, including a group of Roman slabs regarded as one of the most important in the Iberian Peninsula.
- Secção arqueológica – Thousands of pieces from the archaeological sites of the municipality of Sintra, from the Middle Palaeolithic to the 18th century, with emphasis on the Neolithic, the Chalcolithic and the Roman period.
- Founded
- 1955
- Operated by
- Câmara Municipal de Sintra
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Free admission. No booking required. Specific activities have their own prices: educational workshops and staged visits, €4; Noites do Museu (Museum Nights), €3.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- 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 museum presents itself as an accessible and inclusive cultural space.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Barreira
Mafrense buses on the Portela de Sintra–Ericeira route, alighting at the Barreira stop.
By car, take the Estrada Nacional 247 (Sintra–Ericeira) to the junction for São Miguel de Odrinhas.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided visits by prior booking on +351 219 238 608. The museum organises educational workshops, staged visits and the Noites do Museu (Museum Nights). |
