Museu Ibérico da Máscara e do Traje, Museum in Sé, Santa Maria e Meixedo, Bragança, Portugal
The Museu Ibérico da Máscara e do Traje is a museum in Sé, Santa Maria e Meixedo, housed in an old building inside the medieval walls of Bragança. It displays masks and traditional costumes from communities across Portugal and Spain, including works by artisans from throughout the Iberian Peninsula.
The museum opened in February 2007 and has since been dedicated to presenting the mask and costume traditions of the Iberian Peninsula. The building that houses it has a long history within the old town of Bragança, adding an extra layer of context to the collection inside.
The masks on display were used in festivals and rituals across the region, often worn to chase away evil spirits or to tell stories during public celebrations. Walking through the rooms, you can see how wood, fabric, and paper were shaped into colorful objects that played a central role in community life.
The museum is small and easy to navigate, so visitors can take their time without feeling rushed. It is worth planning a walk through the surrounding old streets before or after the visit, as the neighborhood adds to the overall experience.
The collection brings together work from 46 artisans across 29 different towns on the Iberian Peninsula, making it one of the broadest overviews of regional mask traditions in Portugal. Some of the masks on display come from villages where the related customs are still practiced today.
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