Museu de Lanifícios da Universidade da Beira Interior

About the museum

The Museu de Lanifícios da Universidade da Beira Interior was established by rectoral order in January 1989 and inaugurated in 1992; it opened to the public on a regular basis in 1996. It has been part of the Rede Portuguesa de Museus since 2002. It is dedicated to the industrial heritage of the wool industry of the Serra da Estrela, with Covilhã as its historic centre.

The Núcleo da Real Fábrica de Panos preserves the area of the old dye-houses of the factory created by the Marquis of Pombal in 1764, classified as a Property of Public Interest in 1982. The Núcleo da Real Fábrica Veiga, which illustrates a later technological phase linked to steam machinery, was inaugurated in 2005 and opened to the public in 2011. The Núcleo das Râmolas de Sol is an open-air space.

The museum also includes a Centro de Documentação e Arquivo Histórico dos Lanifícios (Documentation and Historical Archive Centre of the Wool Industry), a shop and rooms for temporary exhibitions. Its motto is “Os fios do passado a tecer o futuro” (“The threads of the past weaving the future”), and it practises the active conservation of its collections.

Highlights

• Real Fábrica de Panos unit, founded in 1764, with the former dye-houses
• Real Fábrica Veiga unit, on the industrialisation of the wool industry
• Open-air Râmolas de Sol unit
• Documentation and Historical Archive Centre of the Wool Industry
• Multimedia guide accessible by QR code

Permanent exhibitions

• Núcleo da Real Fábrica de Panos – Area of the former dye-houses of the Real Fábrica de Panos, founded in 1764, with rooms, galleries and a vat.
• Núcleo da Industrialização dos Lanifícios (Real Fábrica Veiga) – Historical context and processes of the wool industry, such as shearing, spinning and weaving.
• Núcleo das Râmolas de Sol – Open-air unit, with no restriction on opening hours.

Founded

1992

Operated by

Universidade da Beira Interior

Director

Rita Salvado

Admission & discounts

Admission to the Real Fábrica de Panos and Real Fábrica Veiga units is paid; the prices are on the table displayed at reception. Guided visits for school groups: €1.50 (Real Fábrica de Panos), €2.50 (Real Fábrica Veiga) or €3 (both) per pupil; for groups of more than 20 participants: €3.50, €4.50 or €5. Participants under 6 years old enter and take the guided visit free of charge.

Accessibility

• Partially 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 states that it is accessible to people using wheelchairs. The Real Fábrica de Panos unit is in a building classified as a Property of Public Interest, which does not meet all current accessibility conditions. There are no Braille captions or audio guides; there is a multimedia guide accessible via QR code.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The museum has a car park.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Shop with replicas of museum pieces and publications; it opens during the units' hours. There is a car park.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit