The Soares dos Reis National Museum in Porto

A few steps from the Crystal Palace gardens, the Soares dos Reis National Museum houses one of the finest collections of Portuguese art in the world! Follow the guide!

Brief history of the Soares dos Reis National Museum

The origins of the Soares dos Reis National Museum

Founded by King Dom Pedro IV in 1833 to accommodate the property of monasteries dissolved following the civil war between Portuguese liberals and conservatives, the Soares dos Reis Museum is Portugal’s oldest public art museum.

At the time of its creation, the museum was housed in the Convent of Santo António, east of Porto, and was named Museu Portuense de Pinturas e Estampas (in English “Portuan Museum of Paintings and Prints”).

A century later, for museum’s centenary, it is renamed “Soares dos Reis Museum”. In 1940, the museum was moved to the Carrancas Palace, in the center of Porto.

Why is the museum called Soares dos Reis?

The museum is named after the Portuguese sculptor António Soares dos Reis (born in Vila Nova de Gaia, on the other side of the Douro). You’ll find plenty of his sculptures in the museum.

Visiting the Soares dos Reis Museum in Porto

The Carrancas Palace

The Palace of Carrancas is a neo-classical buidling built the Moraes e Castro family at the end of the 19^th century.

The palace was converted into the headquarters of the Napoleonic army during the French occupation of the city, before passing between the hands of the troops of the Duke of Wellington.

Be sure to have a look at the palace’s tree-lined courtyard. On sunny days, Captain Ulysse recommends taking the time to have coffee in the museum’s courtyard, away from the city’s hustle and bustle!

The collections of the Soares dos Reis National Museum

Fine arts

The museum houses vast collections of Portuguese art, dating in particular from the 18^th to the 20^th centuries. Visitors can discover many sculptures by the artist Soares dos Reis, but also a large number of naturalist works from the School of Porto (Silva Porto, Marques de Oliveira, Artur Loureiro, Henrique Pousão…).

Decorative Art

The museum also exhibits beautiful collections of decorative art (antique furniture, ceramics, earthenware, etc.), musical instruments, goldsmithery, jewelry, etc. The decoration of the old palace has also been recreated: the dining room and the music room are particularly stunning.

Don’t miss the oriental furniture and objects brought back from Portuguese explorations in Asia, notably the Namban screens illustrating the arrival from the Portuguese in Japan.

Access

Getting to the Soares dos Reis Museum

The museum is located west of Porto’s city center, between the Livraria Lello, the Clérigos Tower and the Crystal Palace gardens. The nearest public transports are:

• Metro: Aliados station (line D)
• Tram: Viriato or Palácio stops (line 18)
• Bus: lines 18, 200, 201, 207, 300, 301, 302, 303, 501, 507, 601 and 602

Opening hours of the Soares dos Reis Museum

The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is exceptionally closed on December 25, January 1^st, Easter Sunday, May 1^st and June 24.

Admission

Admission tickets are €5 full price and €2.50 for the reduced rate (students and seniors). Access is free for children under 12.

The Porto Card also entitles visitors to a 50 % discount.

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