Coimbra Municipal Museum celebrates European Night with extended hours and free admission

The Coimbra Municipal Museum (MMC) will join the celebration of the European Night of Museums on May 23rd. Throughout the day, entry will be free to all MMC sites, with a diverse program that includes themed visits, staged experiences, and activities dedicated to the city’s historical and cultural heritage. To mark this event, created in 2005 by the French Ministry of Culture and which challenges visitors to enjoy a unique cultural experience at night, the MMC will have extended hours and free entry. The Chiado Building, the Almedina Tower, and the Anto Tower will be open between 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM and from 2:00 PM to 12:00 AM. The City Hall and the Inquisition Building can be visited between 1:00 PM and midnight. The initiative’s program begins at 3:00 PM in the Chiado Building with the visit “The Collector and the Telo de Morais Collection,” part of the joint program of the Coimbra | Museum Network, within the framework of International Museum Day, this year themed “Museums uniting a divided world.” The visit proposes a reflection on the figure of Telo de Morais and the process of forming the collection donated to the city, which was the origin of the first nucleus of the Coimbra Municipal Museum dedicated to decorative arts and Portuguese painting. The activity is intended for the general public and requires prior registration, being limited to 25 participants. At 6:30 PM, at the Almedina Tower, there will be a guided tour of the exhibition “I, Dona Isabel, Queen of Portugal,” focusing on three main themes: the life of Dona Isabel of Aragon, the management of her estate, and the legacy she left to the city of Coimbra, both material and immaterial. The tour is aimed at the general public and is limited to 25 participants, also requiring prior registration. The Mikveh of Coimbra will also be highlighted, with guided tours at 7:30 PM and 11:00 PM. Located in a cave carved into the rock, on the edge of the territory once occupied by the city’s first Jewish community, this space allows for the interpretation of the practice and importance of the purification bath in Jewish tradition. The visits will meet at the Chiado Building, are open to the general public, and are limited to six participants per session due to space limitations, requiring prior registration. At 9:00 PM, the Chiado Building will host “From the Counter to the Teacup: Furniture and the Tea Ritual in the Telo de Morais Collection – An Evening at Museum Night,” a staged visit accompanied by a historical gastronomy workshop. Led by a couple inspired by the era of the collection, participants will be invited to discover iconic pieces of historical furniture and explore the world of Chinese porcelain, culminating in an experience dedicated to the tea ritual. This activity is the result of a partnership with the Coimbra School of Hospitality and Tourism and the Coimbra Beauty Academy. It is intended for the general public and is limited to 30 participants, subject to prior registration. Registration: Registration for the activities can be done by phone at 239 840 754 or by email at [email protected]. For visits to the Mikveh, the email address [email protected] is also available.