Museum of Lamego

The beautiful building that was formerly the bishop's palace now houses one of the best-kept museums in the Portuguese interior .

Your visit is doubly worthwhile, partly because of the valuable collection on display and partly because of the visit to a grand ancient palace of austere beauty.

Of the collection on display, the paintings of Vasco Fernandes, also known as Grão Vasco, and the collection of Flemish tapestries are worth mentioning. At the beginning of the 16th century, the Bishop of Lamego, D. João Madureira, commissioned a large altarpiece from the great Portuguese master to adorn the main altar of the cathedral . Of the 20 panels painted, five are on display in the museum: the Creation of the Animals, the Annunciation to Mary by the Angel, the Visit of the Virgin Mary to her cousin Isabel, the Presence of Jesus in the Temple and the Circumcision. These are examples of the best works of art from 16th century Portuguese painting.

The tapestries in the Museu de Lamego date from the same period as the paintings of Grão Vasco and were made in Brussels . The nobility and church princes used the cloth tapestries to decorate their palaces and at the same time make them more comfortable. Among the collection on display is also a canvas representing the Judgement in Paradise ; a beautiful design entitled the Temple of Latona, illustrated with mythological scenes related to the Goddess Latona and four canvases telling the story of Oedipus, the most tragic theme of Greek mythology.

On the ground floor, in a series of rooms dedicated to archaeology, exhibits include a number of medieval coffins, a beautiful medieval stone shield and several stone coats of arms of Portuguese families.

Also noteworthy are the four chapels that were part of the Convento das Chagas monastery and which have been completely rebuilt in the museum and show the pinnacle of Portuguese Baroque.

Also worth seeing are collections of Portuguese and Indo-Portuguese furniture, ceramic pieces including 17th century tile panels, goldsmith's work and a rich collection of religious vestments.

Willem Vandenameele