Also known as: Núcleo Museológico da Igreja de São Pedro e Reservas
An old church has been repurposed for the municipal archaeological museum, with information and exhibits detailing the occupation of the area from Paleolithic times to the 20th century.
This museum was formed in 2021, using the building of a church that had been decommissioned in the early 20th century, as well as the power company building next to it. It now houses the archaeological heritage of Grândola from prehistoric times to the 20th century. There are several artefacts (as well as replicas) from prehistoric sites in the region, along with photos of the sites and artistic recreations of how the sites were originally used.
The displays are all in Portuguese, but the museum has an audio guide in multiple languages, and there are QR codes that link to text on the municipal website in English.
There are also interesting exhibitions beyond prehistory: there is an excellent display about the Roman site on the Troia peninsula, as well as information about the church and the electric company in the 20th century. There is also a temporary exhibition space: when I visited, it included examples of old electric equipment, including typewriters, telephones, and early computers.
Location
The museum is in the town of Grândola, in the district of Setúbal. It’s on the southwest edge of town, past the Municipal Market.
Coordinates: 38.175110, -8.569987
Admission
Admission is free, and the museum is open Mondays through Saturdays, 9h30-13h00 and 14h00-17h00.
Signage
There are no signs pointing the way to the museum. You can follow the signs to the “Turismo,” and they can tell you the directions from there.
Links
- Website (in Portuguese) from the town hall of Grândola
- video (in Portuguese) from the town hall of Grândola
- Description (in Portuguese) from the Setúbal Region Network of Cultural Heritage (Rede de Património Cultural da Região de Setúbal)
Nearby
The area of Grândola has several interesting prehistoric sites, with five main ones being listed by the municipality.
There are two south of Melides, about 25km away to the west: the Anta da Pedra Branca and the Bronze Age cists of Casas Velhas.
About 22km to the south, there is the Anta da Pata de Cavalo near Azinheira do Barro.
In the area around Lousal, about 30km to the south, you can also visit the Anta do Monte Serôdio and the Megalithic Monument of Lousal.
There are others in the area that are not officially listed or signposted.