The Beja Regional Museum, also called the Museu Rainha D. Leonor, is a museum of art and archaeology in the former Convent of Nossa Senhora da Conceição in Beja, a convent of Poor Clare nuns founded in 1459 by Prince Fernando and Princess Beatriz, the parents of King Manuel I. The museum was created in 1917 and opened to the public on 5 October 1927.
The convent is classified as a National Monument since 1922.
What to see at the Beja Regional Museum
- Church: the convent church, with a Flamboyant Gothic portal and a Baroque interior of gilded carved wood.
- Cloister: the cloister, lined with Portuguese and Spanish tiles, including Sevillian tiles of the 16th century.
- Chapter house: the 16th-century chapter room, one of the three parts of the original convent that remain.
- Window of Mariana Alcoforado: the grille linked to the nun Mariana Alcoforado, who lived in the convent and is presumed to be the author of the Portuguese Letters, love letters published in France in the 17th century.
- Collections: Portuguese, Spanish and Flemish paintings, Roman archaeology found in the region, medieval inscriptions and coats of arms, and the collection of the archaeologist Fernando Nunes Ribeiro.
- Visigothic nucleus: a branch of the museum in the Church of Santo Amaro, with carved stones of the Visigothic period.
History of the Beja Regional Museum
- 1459: Prince Fernando and Princess Beatriz found the Royal Convent of Nossa Senhora da Conceição, next to their palace in Beja.
- 17th century: the nun Mariana Alcoforado lives in the convent.
- Late 19th century: most of the convent and the palace are demolished to reorganise the city centre, leaving the church, the cloister and the chapter house.
- 1917: the Regional Museum of Beja is created.
- 1922: the convent is classified as a National Monument.
- 5 October 1927: the museum opens to the public in the convent.
Visiting the Beja Regional Museum
- Location: the museum is on Largo da Conceição, in the parish of Beja (Salvador e Santa Maria da Feira), near Beja Castle.
- Opening times: the Beja Municipality publishes current opening times, and the museum may close in part during works.
Places to visit in Beja
