Museu de Aveiro / Santa Joana

About the museum

The Museu de Aveiro / Santa Joana is housed in the former Convento de Jesus (Convent of Jesus), founded in 1458. The history of the building is linked to that of Princess Santa Joana, daughter of D. Afonso V and sister of D. João II, who entered the community fourteen years after its foundation and contributed greatly to its prestige; her tomb is in the lower choir.

The convent grew without an initial plan. In the second half of the 17th century, with the princess's beatification, the church was covered in gilded woodcarving, painting and azulejos, and the lower choir was redecorated; in 1751 a façade gave unity to the complex. The convent was dissolved in 1874, and the building was adapted into a college and, in 1912, into a museum. The 2009 refurbishment, designed by Alcino Soutinho, defined the current architecture and added a block for temporary exhibitions.

The collection comes mainly from the convent itself and from other religious houses in Aveiro, Coimbra and Lisbon: painting, sculpture, woodcarving, textiles, ceramics, azulejos, goldsmith work, furniture, prints and archaeology from the 15th to the 19th centuries, with an emphasis on the Baroque. It includes a collection of Eastern art donated by the medical colonel Nascimento Leitão. The museum has been closed since 6 October 2026 for refurbishment works.

Highlights

• Tomb of Princess Santa Joana in the lower choir
• Church of Jesus, with Baroque gilded woodcarving, painting and azulejos
• Cloister, chapter house, refectory and upper choir of the former convent
• Permanent exhibition of sacred art from the 15th to 19th centuries
• Collection of Eastern art

Permanent exhibition

• Exposição permanente – Sacred art collections from the 15th to the 19th century, beginning with the iconography and relics of Princess Santa Joana and following chronological order up to the Baroque and Rococo.

Founded

1912

Operated by

Município de Aveiro

Admission & discounts

Tariffs before the closure: the ticket for the Museu de Aveiro / Santa Joana included the Carmelite Church, the information kit and the audio guide.

Accessibility

The museum has been closed since 6 October 2026 for refurbishment works expected to last 18 months; it will reopen when the conditions for doing so are in place.

Kids & families

The museum has been closed since 6 October 2026 for refurbishment works expected to last 18 months; it will reopen when the conditions for doing so are in place.

Getting there & parking

The museum has been closed since 6 October 2026 for refurbishment works expected to last 18 months; it will reopen when the conditions for doing so are in place.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Café in the former convent kitchen and museum shop (before the closure).

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

Hire of the auditorium (70 seats), the temporary exhibition room (330 m²), the café, the Church of Jesus and the cloister, for seminars, training, concerts and other events.

Plan your visit