It is located on Avenida Frei Heitor Pinto, next to the public garden of Covilhã, City and municipality of Covilhã, Central Portugal
Installed in Casa Maria José Alçada, a 1921 building designed by Raul Lino with the collaboration of the Bishop of the Diocese, D. Manuel da Rocha Felício, and the parish priests of the municipality's churches, which allowed the gathering of the pieces that now make up the collection of this museum space.
In an exhibition area of 850 m2, the museum heritage is divided into two buildings whose cornerstone is the 7 sacraments proposed by the Catholic Church (baptism, confirmation, marriage, order, penance, eucharist and anointing of the sick).
The collection contains more than 600 pieces and the collections of painting, sculpture, goldsmithing, vestments and distaff figures stand out.
Currently, the Museum's collection consists of sacred images, altarpieces, reliquaries, altars, crucifixes, rare books and documents, goldsmithing, furniture, canvases, religious objects and liturgical vestments (a period ranging from the 12th century to the 20th century).
One of the relevant aspects is the large dimensions of certain pieces that are uncommon in European museums, and which stand out as icons of the Museum of Sacred Art.
As an example, on the central staircase there is a sculpture of the crucified Christ, from the 18th century in polychrome wood measuring 2.20m x 1.85m.
In addition to the permanent exhibition rooms, a temporary exhibition room, an interior garden and a store for sale to the public, there is a chapel within the Museum area that recreates the religious environment common to this type of structures.
An olive tree symbolically planted at the entrance to the space marks the beginning of the Covilhã Museum of Sacred Art.
The museum has ancient pieces that were donated by several churches, and others found in abandoned places as a result of archaeological excavations.
The Museum of Sacred Art in Covilhã hosted the exhibition “Virgem Mãe” which is made up of a collection of around 20 pieces in paper pulp, created by Íris Fonseca, which includes several original ways of honoring the virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, and new ways of coloring the sculptures with natural pigments.
In fact, environmental concern is a constant in Íris Fonseca's work, who recycles not only paper, but also electrical materials that give rise to the hair of one or another sculpture.
In an exhibition area of 850 m2, the museum heritage is divided into two buildings whose cornerstone is the 7 sacraments proposed by the Catholic Church (baptism, confirmation, marriage, order, penance, eucharist and anointing of the sick).
The collection contains more than 600 pieces and the collections of painting, sculpture, goldsmithing, vestments and distaff figures stand out.
Currently, the Museum's collection consists of sacred images, altarpieces, reliquaries, altars, crucifixes, rare books and documents, goldsmithing, furniture, canvases, religious objects and liturgical vestments (a period ranging from the 12th century to the 20th century).
One of the relevant aspects is the large dimensions of certain pieces that are uncommon in European museums, and which stand out as icons of the Museum of Sacred Art.
As an example, on the central staircase there is a sculpture of the crucified Christ, from the 18th century in polychrome wood measuring 2.20m x 1.85m.
In addition to the permanent exhibition rooms, a temporary exhibition room, an interior garden and a store for sale to the public, there is a chapel within the Museum area that recreates the religious environment common to this type of structures.
An olive tree symbolically planted at the entrance to the space marks the beginning of the Covilhã Museum of Sacred Art.
The museum has ancient pieces that were donated by several churches, and others found in abandoned places as a result of archaeological excavations.
The Museum of Sacred Art in Covilhã hosted the exhibition “Virgem Mãe” which is made up of a collection of around 20 pieces in paper pulp, created by Íris Fonseca, which includes several original ways of honoring the virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, and new ways of coloring the sculptures with natural pigments.
In fact, environmental concern is a constant in Íris Fonseca's work, who recycles not only paper, but also electrical materials that give rise to the hair of one or another sculpture.
