Tourism

Lamego Museum

Located in the historic centre of the city, the Lamego Museum was founded in 1917, in an 18th-century building that served as the Episcopal Palace. It belongs to the select group of centenary museums, whose creation reflects the effects of the Law of Separation of Church and State (1911), which followed the establishment of the Republic. With a truly eclectic collection, it houses painting, tapestry, furniture, goldsmithing, liturgical vestments and means of transport that were part of the former palace’s furnishings, later complemented by a set of chapels decorated with gilded woodcarving, archaeological artefacts, ceramics, prints, drawings and photography. The Flemish tapestry collection, woven in Brussels in the first half of the 16th century, the panels painted by Vasco Fernandes (Grão Vasco) for the Lamego Cathedral at the same time, the 17th-century tile panels, and a medieval tomb chest, classified as “national treasures,” are among the most significant works in a chronologically wide-ranging collection, with pieces dating from the 1st to the 20th century. Diverse and varied, the collection allows visitors to trace the evolution of the city of Lamego and the lives of the men and women who inhabited it over the centuries. The museum is part of the network of National Museums and Monuments in Portugal, managed by the Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage (DGPC) and integrated into the national circuit, even though it is currently undergoing refurbishment to modernise the facilities and improve accessibility.

Biblioteca Municipal de Lamego

The building that now houses the Lamego Municipal Library was the Palácio Mesquitela, a former manor house that later served as the headquarters of Caixa Geral de Depósitos and, after renovation works, became the library. It is an example of 17th-century architecture, linked to the Mesquitela family, and an important local cultural landmark. The origins of the Lamego Public Municipal Library date back to the late 19th century. The Viscount Guedes Teixeira, a major supporter of the Lamego Library, expressed the intention of maintaining a library in his municipality. Cassiano Neves was the main driving force behind a Popular Education Association, which included a Popular Library with 1,400 books, and is considered the principal founder of the Lamego Public Municipal Library. The Lamego Municipal Library is a dynamic space that offers, in addition to book lending and free Internet access (Wi-Fi), an online catalogue for research, reading promotion activities, guided tours, and research support. Its operations focus on the development of readers and civic participation, with a collection comprising more than 12,000 works.