Museu Nacional Francisco Tavares Proença Júnior

The Museu Nacional Francisco Tavares Proença Júnior is best known for a craft unique to its region: the Castelo Branco embroidered quilt. Alongside these remarkable textiles, the museum holds archaeology, painting, furniture and tiles that tell the story of the city and its surroundings.

A regional museum with national status

The museum was created in 1910 by Francisco Tavares Proença Júnior, an archaeologist and collector from Castelo Branco, and is installed in the former episcopal palace in the historic centre. Its collections have grown over more than a century, but the embroidered quilts remain its signature.

What to see

• Castelo Branco embroidered quilts, with their distinctive silk designs on linen.
• Archaeology from the region, from prehistory to the Roman period.
• Painting, sculpture and religious art.
• Furniture, ceramics and tiles.

Visiting the museum

The museum is in the historic centre of Castelo Branco. Opening hours are published on the official page, so check before your visit.

Visitor information: museusemonumentos.pt.

Image credit: Castelo Branco embroidered quilt, Museu Nacional Francisco Tavares Proença Júnior, by GualdimG, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.