Museu Municipal de Espinho
Museum in the former Brandão, Gomes & C.ª canning factory in Espinho, devoted to arte-xávega (beach-seine fishing), the canning industry and local memory.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museu Municipal de Espinho (Espinho Municipal Museum) was established on 8 April 2009 by resolution of the Câmara Municipal and opened on 16 June of the same year. It was conceived as a dynamic structure and not merely as a fixed exhibition space: it supports the municipal history, archaeology and archive services, which present their collections here and organise initiatives and exhibitions.
The museum occupies the former Brandão, Gomes & C.ª canning factory, now part of the Fórum de Arte e Cultura de Espinho (FACE, Espinho Arts and Culture Forum). The company was founded in 1894 and at one point employed about 400 people, mainly women and girls from fishing families. Its sardine and other canned products won foreign markets, especially in Brazil.
The collection originates from a donation made to the Câmara in 1992 by the GEDAPE, a group that had been collecting historical and ethnographic objects from the municipality since 1982, and it has been enriched by gifts from private individuals. It includes the factory's archive, material linked to arte-xávega (boats, nets, costumes, photographs), belongings of the fishing quarter and pieces from the 19th and 20th centuries. The museum is part of the Portuguese Museum Network.
Highlights
- Permanent exhibition on arte-xávega, traditional fishing with a net cast from the beach
- Permanent exhibition on the Brandão, Gomes & C.ª canning factory
- Multimedia kiosks and audio guide in Portuguese and English
- Fishing-quarter collection with furniture, clothing and cult objects
- Free admission on Saturdays
Permanent exhibitions
- Arte-Xávega – Objects, photographs and information on beach-seine fishing, organised in four rooms devoted to the “Arte”, the fishing crews (companhas) and fishing families.
- Fábrica Brandão, Gomes & C.ª – Everyday objects from the factory, photographs of sections and workers, and historical information on the products, work and industrial process of the former canning factory.
- Founded
- 2009
- Operated by
- Município de Espinho
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €2 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 10 · Admission to the permanent exhibition rooms and the temporary exhibition gallery is free for children up to and including the age of 10. |
| Guided visit | €2.50 |
| Guided visit with educational activity | €3 |
| Birthday at the museum (per child) | €6 |
Free admission: Every Saturday
Single ticket of €2; free admission on Saturdays.
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 is accessible to people with reduced mobility. Content is being adapted for visually impaired people.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 10 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Kids’ birthday parties
The education service organises activities for children and schools, and the museum offers birthday parties, priced per child.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
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
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (PT, EN) |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | The audio guide is a digital script in Portuguese and English, consulted on the visitor's mobile phone, which complements the self-guided visit to the two permanent exhibitions; the use of headphones is recommended. The archaeological station of the Castro de Ovil (Lugar do Monte, Paramos) has guided visits by booking from Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 16:30, and, without booking, from 16 August to 10 September, on Wednesdays and Fridays, 14:00 to 16:30. |
