Museu Municipal da Ribeira Grande
Ethnographic museum in the former Solar de São Vicente Ferreira, with traditional crafts, the oldest moving nativity scene in the Azores, azulejo tiles and sacred art.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museu Municipal da Ribeira Grande is housed in the former Solar de São Vicente Ferreira (or Ferrer), in the Matriz parish, an 18th-century building also known as the Casa da Cultura (House of Culture). It opened to the public on 29 June 1985 and is part of the Portuguese Museum Network.
It is a multi-unit museum: besides the headquarters, it includes the Museu da Emigração Açoriana (Museum of Azorean Emigration), the Casa do Arcano and the Museu Vivo do Franciscanismo (Living Museum of Franciscanism). Its mission is to research, conserve and promote the traditional culture of the municipality and of the island of São Miguel.
The collection is mainly ethnographic. On permanent display are collections of traditional crafts (stonemasonry, carpentry, shoemaking, weaving, hat-making, barbering, printing and a winery with a treading press), the moving nativity scene of Prior Evaristo Carreiro Gouveia, the traditional kitchen of a manor house from São Miguel, the Vieira & Botelho pharmacy from Ponta Delgada, in Art Nouveau style, and a collection of azulejo tiles from the 16th to the 21st centuries. There are also archaeological finds from the former Mosteiro do Santo Nome de Jesus (Monastery of the Holy Name of Jesus) and sacred art, notably a Baroque altarpiece in white cedar and a winged image of São Vicente Ferreira. The museum has two rooms for temporary exhibitions and an outdoor garden, open in spring and summer.
Highlights
- Moving nativity scene of Prior Evaristo Carreiro Gouveia, the oldest in the Azores
- Vieira & Botelho pharmacy, in Art Nouveau style
- Traditional crafts: stonemasonry, weaving, shoemaking, printing and more
- Collection of azulejo tiles from the 16th to 21st centuries
- Baroque altarpiece and image of São Vicente Ferreira
Permanent exhibitions
- Ofícios tradicionais – Collections of stonemasonry, carpentry, shoemaking, weaving, hat-making, barbering, printing and a winery with a treading press.
- Presépio movimentado – Nativity scene of Prior Evaristo Carreiro Gouveia, the oldest moving nativity scene in the Azores.
- Farmácia Vieira & Botelho – Furniture and utensils from a pharmacy in Ponta Delgada with Art Nouveau features.
- Founded
- 1985
- Operated by
- Município da Ribeira Grande
Admission & discounts
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
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Amenities & dining
Outdoor garden, open in spring and summer, and two rooms for temporary exhibitions.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Guided visits are by prior booking. Every month the museum highlights a piece from its reserve collection. |
