Museu do Traje em Viana do Castelo

About the museum

The Museu do Traje de Viana do Castelo was created in 1997 to study and promote the identity and ethnographic heritage of Viana, above all through the traje à vianesa, the rural women's dress worn in the villages around the town between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries. Initially it was under the responsibility of the Comissão de Festas da Senhora d’Agonia (festival committee); the municipal council took it over in 2000.

The museum is on Praça da República, in a building constructed between 1954 and 1958, with the austere lines of the Estado Novo, where the Banco de Portugal branch operated until 1996. The municipality acquired the building and assigned it to the museum; in 2007 it underwent adaptation works for museum use. The museum joined the Rede Portuguesa de Museus in 2004, the year in which it presented its first permanent exhibition, “A Lã e o Linho no Traje do Alto Minho” (Wool and Linen in the Dress of Alto Minho).

The current permanent exhibition, “Trajar – Memórias no Tempo” (Dressing – Memories through Time), presents ceremonial, Sunday and working costumes, and the costumes of the Bairro da Ribeira. There is also the exhibition “Um Traje Vivo” (A Living Costume), on the use of the traje à vianesa at festivals and in folklore groups, and the Sala do Ouro (Gold Room), with goldsmith work from the Fundação Eduardo Freitas, including the Coração de Viana (Viana heart pendant) and bead necklaces.

Highlights

• Permanent exhibition “Trajar – Memórias no Tempo”
• Traje à vianesa, a certified product
• Sala do Ouro with the Coração de Viana and bead necklaces
• Former Banco de Portugal building, 1954–1958
• Ticket that includes the Museu de Artes Decorativas

Permanent exhibitions

• Trajar – Memórias no Tempo – Exhibition on the ground floor about the regional costumes of the municipality: the traje à vianesa, ceremonial, Sunday and working costumes, and the costumes of the Bairro da Ribeira.
• Sala do Ouro – Traditional goldsmith work of Minho, with pieces from the Fundação Eduardo Freitas, such as the Coração de Viana, bead necklaces and the cord, and production tools.
• Traje à Vianesa – produto certificado – Summary of the certification process of the traje à vianesa, with examples of the main types and the dark blue mourning costume.

Founded

1997

Operated by

Município de Viana do Castelo

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Free admission on 20 January, 18 May (International Museum Day), 18 June and during the European Heritage Days. Members of APOM and ICOM enter free.

The €2.40 ticket gives access to the Museu do Traje and the Museu de Artes Decorativas.

Accessibility

• 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 offers good accessibility for people with reduced mobility.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

The museum has a shop.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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