Photo: GualdimG · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Castelo de Vila Viçosa – Coleções de Arqueologia e de Caça

Archaeology and hunting collections of the Fundação da Casa de Bragança, displayed in the Castle of Vila Viçosa on a single ticket.

Opening hoursAdmission €5

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About the museum

The Castle of Vila Viçosa houses two collections of the Museu-Biblioteca da Casa de Bragança (Museum-Library of the House of Bragança), which are visited together on the same ticket: the Archaeology Collection and the Hunting Collection. The archaeology visit is part of the castle visit, which also includes hunting.

The Archaeology Collection occupies the ground-floor spaces and is arranged in chronological order. All periods are represented, but the emphasis falls mainly on the sections devoted to the Roman presence, shown in various aspects of daily life through abundant finds, largely ceramic. Most of the pieces come from excavations in the Alto Alentejo carried out by António Dias de Deus and Luís Agostinho, staff of the Vila Fernando Penal Colony. The volume and importance of the finds attracted the interest of Abel Viana, who organised and studied them and was responsible for the creation of the museum. Pieces from the archaeological collections gathered by several members of the royal family can also be seen, together with architectural elements of various periods recovered from works on the built heritage of Vila Viçosa and its surroundings.

The Hunting Collection is a museum unit of great quality and originality in the national panorama. It evokes the symbolic and economic importance of hunting for the House of Bragança, which created several hunting estates (tapadas) at Vila Viçosa, Ajuda and Mafra. It includes some 200 indigenous artefacts gathered by members of the royal family, mainly ceremonial weapons from Mozambique and Angola offered to Prince D. Luís Filipe during his journey to the former colonies in 1907, numerous European birds, African hunting trophies, the skull of a pygmy elephant and objects used aboard the yacht Amélia during the oceanographic expeditions of King Carlos I.

Highlights

Archaeological finds from the Alto Alentejo, with emphasis on the Roman period
Pieces from the archaeological collections of members of the royal family
Some 200 African indigenous artefacts, mainly ceremonial weapons
Hunting trophies, European birds and the skull of a pygmy elephant
Objects from the yacht Amélia linked to the oceanographic campaigns of King Carlos I

Permanent exhibitions

Coleção de Arqueologia – Archaeological finds from the Alto Alentejo, displayed in chronological order on the ground floor of the castle, with emphasis on the Roman period.
Coleção de Caça – Trophies, weapons, birds and African artefacts evoking hunting in the House of Bragança and the oceanographic campaigns of King Carlos I.

Operated by: Fundação da Casa de Bragança

Admission & discounts

Adults	€5
Reduced	–Discounts (not cumulative and on presentation of a valid document): 50% for students over 12, teachers and people with a disability of more than 60% and their companion; 25% for veterans and people over 65; 20% for Montepio members.
Children & teens	freefree up to age 12 · Free admission up to age 12.
Groups (50+ people)	–10% discount on sales to groups (tour operators, minimum of 50 people).
Combined ticket for Paço Ducal and Castle (2 consecutive days)	€12
Combined ticket for all units (3 consecutive days)	€16

The €5 ticket gives access to the archaeology and hunting collections (self-guided visit). Free admission also for residents of the municipality of Vila Viçosa on Tuesdays, for tourism or communication professionals on duty, and for members of ICOM, APOM and APBAD, on presentation of a valid document.