MusCA – Museu do Campo Alentejano
Municipal museum in the Convento de São Bento de Avis, dedicated to the Alentejo countryside and the montado (Alentejo cork and holm oak woodland), with an interpretation centre on the Order of Avis.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museu Municipal de Avis, now called the Museu do Campo Alentejano (MusCA), occupies the Chapter Room (Sala do Capítulo) and the Monks' Reading Room (Sala de Leitura dos Monges) of the former Convento de São Bento de Avis. The convent, on top of a hill, dominates the town and can be seen from several kilometres away; it has been classified as a Property of Public Interest since 1949.
After works that began in July 2012, the collection was again open to the public on 15 August 2014, organised around the agricultural countryside and the montado. It is above all an ethnographic collection, representative of farming and pastoral activities, in which the montado emerges as a shaping element of a regional culture. The exhibitions evoke tasks such as herding, sowing, reaping, threshing, olive harvesting, the grape harvest and cork stripping.
In addition to the long-term exhibition rooms, the museum has a visitable collection store, an area for educational activities for younger visitors and a space recreating the interior of a typical Alentejo house. The exhibition includes an inclusive area for visually impaired visitors, with objects to touch and captions in Braille.
The Centro Interpretativo da Ordem de Avis (CIOA) is in the same convent; it shares its ticket with the museum and, on the ground floor, presents a permanent exhibition on the history of the Military Order of São Bento de Avis.
Highlights
- Exhibition on the Alentejo countryside and the montado
- Inclusive area with objects to touch and Braille captions
- Visitable collection store and recreation of an Alentejo house interior
- Centro Interpretativo da Ordem de Avis in the same convent, with the same ticket
- Convento de São Bento, a Property of Public Interest
Permanent exhibitions
- Museu do Campo Alentejano – Long-term exhibition on the agricultural countryside and the montado, with an ethnographic collection of farming and pastoral activities, a visitable collection store and a recreation of an Alentejo house.
- Centro Interpretativo da Ordem de Avis – Chronological route through the most important moments in the history of the Military Order of São Bento de Avis, from the formation of the kingdom, with emphasis on D. João I.
- Operated by
- Município de Avis
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €2.50 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €1.2550% discount for holders of the Jovem Munícipe card or a social travel pass, people aged 66 or over, students, school groups, families of 4 or more, and users of the Albufeira do Maranhão campsite and of participating accommodation |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 12 · Free admission up to the age of 12 (inclusive). |
| Seniors | €1.2550% discount from the age of 66. |
| Students & apprentices | €1.2550% discount upon presentation of a school card. |
| Groups (11+ people) | –20% discount for groups of more than 10 people. |
| Families | –50% discount for families of 4 or more members with direct ascendants of the first or second degree. |
Free admission: 18 May (International Museum Day).
The €2.50 ticket includes the Museu do Campo Alentejano and the Centro Interpretativo da Ordem de Avis. Schools in the municipality and municipal employees are also exempt.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The historic building has been adapted to receive people with reduced mobility. The upper floor of the Centro Interpretativo is accessible by platform lift. The exhibition includes an area for visually impaired visitors, with objects to touch and Braille captions produced with ACAPO (the Portuguese association for the blind).
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 12 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Stroller-friendly
The museum has an area for educational activities for younger visitors and educational services; pushchairs are permitted.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
- Coat check
Reception keeps items not permitted inside, such as backpacks and umbrellas.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photography and filming are permitted for non-commercial use, without flash. |
| Good to know | Guided visits for groups must be requested in writing at least 10 working days in advance; in exceptional cases, requests with 5 working days' notice are accepted. The museum has educational services. Eating, drinking and smoking are not permitted, nor is bringing animals, except guide dogs. |
