Museu do Caramulo

About the museum

The village of Caramulo was founded in 1921 on the southern slope of the mountain range, on the initiative of the physician Jerónimo de Lacerda, who set up a sanatorium there. Faced with the foreseeable decline of tuberculosis treatment, his sons Abel and João de Lacerda sought to give the village a new future and decided to turn it into a centre of cultural and artistic attraction.

In the 1950s they founded the museum. Abel de Lacerda, passionate about art, commissioned a building designed by the architect Alberto Cruz to house a collection of about 500 pieces of painting, sculpture, furniture, ceramics and tapestry, from ancient Egypt to Picasso. João de Lacerda, an enthusiast of cars, built a second building for some one hundred cars and motorcycles. The main building opened in 1959.

After Abel de Lacerda’s early death in 1957, the foundation was created that is today called the Fundação Abel e João de Lacerda and owns the museum. Today the Museu do Caramulo brings together ancient art, modern and contemporary art, cars, motorcycles, velocipedes and toys, and organises temporary exhibitions and events such as the Caramulo Motorfestival.

Highlights

• Collection of ancient art: painting, sculpture, furniture, ceramics and tapestry
• Modern and contemporary art, with works by international artists
• Vintage cars and motorcycles, in a building of their own
• Collections of velocipedes and antique toys
• Exhibition programme and events for classic cars

Permanent exhibitions

• Arte antiga – Collection of painting, sculpture, furniture, ceramics and tapestry donated to the museum by the founders and other patrons.
• Arte moderna e contemporânea – Works of modern and contemporary art by Portuguese and foreign artists.
• Automóveis, motos e velocípedes – Vintage vehicles on show in the building devoted to the car, with collections of motorcycles and velocipedes.

Founded

1959

Operated by

Fundação Abel e João de Lacerda

Admission & discounts

Holders of a BPI card pay €8.50.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

There is a family ticket (two adults and three children) and a reduced ticket for children aged 6 to 15.

Getting there & parking

The museum is in the village of Caramulo. According to the museum, the journey takes about 2 hours 25 minutes from Lisbon and about 1 hour from Porto.

Amenities & 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