National Museum Frei Manuel do Cenáculo, Archaeological museum in Évora, Portugal
The National Museum occupies a former Archiepiscopal Palace in Evora and displays over 20,000 objects spread across exhibition rooms on multiple floors. The collections span various periods and showcase the artistic and cultural heritage of the region.
The museum was founded in 1915 as the Regional Museum of Evora and was built around collections assembled by Frei Manuel do Cenáculo Vilas Boas. This foundational collection remains central to the exhibitions displayed today.
The museum displays altarpieces created by Flemish artists, featuring religious narratives from the 1400s that reflect the spiritual traditions valued in the region. These works show how northern European artistic styles influenced local religious expression.
The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday with fewer visitors typically arriving in the morning hours. The building has multiple flights of stairs connecting the floors so comfortable footwear is recommended.
The archaeology collection holds artifacts from prehistoric stone burial chambers, Islamic settlements, and early Christian sites recovered from regional excavations. These varied objects reveal layers of human activity across centuries in the Evora area.
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