Museums and Palaces

Founded in 1894 by António dos Santos Rocha, the Municipal Museum went through several periods, taking into account the action developed and the museological criteria that presided over its successive resettlements in different physical spaces. 

Until 1910, it sensibly lived a golden phase, extending its fame beyond borders. The remarkable action of Santos Rocha, the works of the Archaeological Society of Figueira da Foz and the publications included in its Bulletin led the Municipal Museum to keep abreast of the best national scientific institutions.

Provisionally installed in Casa do Paço since 1894, it was transferred to the Paços do Concelho building in 1899, where it remained until 1975, the date of the official opening of the new building to the public, built with the technical and financial support of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and designed by the Figueirense architect Isaías Cardoso.

With the opening of the new space, a whole work of reinstallation and study of the pieces began, associated with a great effort of dynamization with the public, communities and schools. 

The Museum has a documentation center that offers a vast collection of works on thematic fundamentally related to the History of Art, Archeology and Museology. It also has a significant core of bibliography related to the local history and history of the Municipal Museum.