Leiria Museum

Municipality of Leiria

In the heart of Leiria, you can get to know the region’s history, from Prehistory to Contemporaneity, in a single place! Reopened in 2015, “Museu de Leiria” promotes different cultural activities, from exhibitions to educational and leisure projects, as well as lectures and workshops. The museum’s collection is made up of artistic, archaeological and historical pieces, among which the collection of sacred art and Roman archaeological finds. One of the most iconic sections of the Museum showcases the human occupation of the region some 29000 years ago – an approach to “Criança do Lapedo” (Lapedo Child). This theme is developed in greater depth at Centro de Interpretação do Abrigo do Lagar Velho (CIALV).

see location
Museu de Leiria, Municipality of Leiria – Photo by Gil de Lemos

Lapedo child’s grave

Thirty thousand years ago, a 5-year-old child was buried by his clan in the Lapedo Valley in Leiria. The remains remained protected until their discovery in 1998. This historical milestone was chosen by the Museu de Leiria to present at the Village of Columbeira, through a replica of the archaeological context of the Lapedo child and the Abrigo do Lagar Velho.

Museu de Leiria – Replica of the Lapedo Child on display in the village of Columbeira, in the Municipality of Bombarral.

Lapedo child’s grave (reproduction)

Francisco Almeida, 2008

Model in various materials

Replica of the archaeological context, including the skeleton of the child (Lagar Velho 1), found in Abrigo do Lagar Velho during excavations carried out in 1998.

Museu de Leiria e Centro de Interpretação do Abrigo do Lagar Velho

view artwork
Museu de Leiria – Replica of the Lapedo Child on display in the village of Columbeira, in the Municipality of Bombarral.

Lapedo child’s grave (reproduction)

Francisco Almeida, 2008

Model in various materials

Reconstitution of a temporary camp, during the Upper Palaeolithic.

Museu de Leiria & Centro de Interpretação do Abrigo do Lagar Velho.

Museu de Leiria – Selected museum objects on display in the village of Columbeira, in the Municipality of Bombarral.

Museum-Village Route map

The Museum in the Village Project has transcended geographical boundaries by bringing together museums and villages from 26 different municipalities in Portugal. The map highlights the three participating regions and reveals the route between the museum and the village, where Cultural Heritage acts as a bridge to bring together municipalities, celebrate traditions and enhance territorial cohesion.

I enjoyed the fraternisation, the interest that we brought to help the population evolve and remember its history (…) What it has to tell. For future generations. And the whys of things (…) The story told with the facts (…) historical records (…) how it happened, how it happened.

Acácio Gustavo
Community of Columbeira, Municipality of Bombarral

The project represents an idea that museums have to go out of doors and have to learn to work with communities in a different way. It involves a human dimension. It uncomplicates museums, it makes the places closer. For us, “Museu na Aldeia” is a seed that has fructified and that, at this moment, is already a quite robust tree.

Vânia Carvalho
Museu de Leiria, Municipality of Leiria

Exhibitions Credits

  • Cultural Promoter
    SAMP – Sociedade Artística Musical dos Pousos
  • Co-financier
    Iniciativa Portugal Inovação Social
    Programa Operacional Social e de Emprego (PO ISE)
    Portugal 2020
    Fundo Social Europeu (FSE)
  • Social investor
    Câmara Municipal de Leiria
    Partner
    Rede Cultura 2027
  • In collaboration with
    Município de Leiria
    Município do Bombarral
    Junta de Freguesia da Roliça
    União de Freguesias de Leiria, Pousos, Barreira e Cortes
    Museu de Leiria
    Centro de Interpretação do Abrigo do Lagar Velho
    Comissão de Melhoramentos da Columbeira
    União de Freguesias de Leiria, Pousos, Barreira e Cortes
  • Museums Working Group for “Rede Cultura 2027”
    Alberto Guerreiro | Museu Raul da Bernarda
    Sónia Santos | Município de Ourém
    Bruno Silva | Rede de Museus e Galerias de Óbidos
    Dóris Santos | Museu Dr. Joaquim Manso
    Filipe Guimarães da Silva | Fundação Mário Soares e Maria Barroso
    Jorge Figueiredo | Município de Porto de Mós
    Luís Figueiredo | Museu Damião de Góis e das Vítimas da Inquisição
    Margarida Moleiro | Museu Municipal Carlos Reis
    Raquel Janeirinho | Rede Museológica do Concelho de Peniche
    Vânia Carvalho | Museu de Leiria
  • The 13 Villages
    Alcanadas (Batalha) | Louriceira de Cima (Arruda dos Vinhos) | Ateanha (Ansião) | Cabeças (Alvaiázere) | Cercal (Cadaval) | Columbeira (Bombarral) | Fanhais (Nazaré) | Freixianda (Ourém) | Folgarosa (Torres Vedras) | Mosteiro (Pedrógão Grande) | São Bento (Porto de Mós) | Fetelaria (Sobral de Monte Agraço) | Pena e Casal da Pena (Torres Novas) 

  • Os 13 Museums
    Casa do Tempo (Castanheira de Pera) | Centro de Artes Caldas da Rainha | Centro de Estudos em Fotografia de Tomar | Rede de Museus e Galerias de Óbidos | Museu de Arte Popular Portuguesa (Pombal) | Museu da Lourinhã | Museu de Aguarela Roque Gameiro (Alcanena) | Museu de Leiria | Museu do Vidro (Marinha Grande) | Museu e Centro de Artes de Figueiró dos Vinhos | Museu Damião de Góis e das Vítimas da Inquisição (Alenquer) | Museu Raul da Bernarda (Alcobaça) | Rede Museológica do Concelho de Peniche

    The project also had the collaboration of museums from the 26 participating municipalities.
  • SAMP Contigo | Coordination
    Raquel Gomes
  • Museu na Aldeia | Coordination
    Gabriela da Rocha
    Sofia Neves
  • Museu na Aldeia | Teams of the project
    • Artistic team | SAMP
      Bruno Homem | Musician
      Filipa Cunha | Musician
      Inesa Markava | Artistic Performance Director
      Jesus Kristen | Musician
      Raquel Gomes | Community Artist
      Ruben Santos | Musician
      Sofia Neves | Actress
    • Technical team | SAMP

      Ana Figueiredo | Communication and Content Manager
      Cátia Gaio | Logistic and Financial Support
      Gabriela da Rocha | Museologist
      Henrique Chaves | Sociologist
      Lara Matos | Degree in Social Psychology
      Leonor Capricho | Graphic Designer
      Ismael Neves | Logistic and Financial Support
      Telma Pereira | Production
    • Texts
      Ana Figueiredo | SAMP
      Gabriela da Rocha | SAMP
      Henrique Chaves | SAMP
      Sofia Neves | SAMP
      Equipa do Museu de Leiria
    • Photography credits
      SAMP team
      Gil de Lemos
    • Museology and museography
      Cátia José | Museu de Leiria
      Gabriela da Rocha | SAMP
      Mário Coelho | Museu de Leiria
      Sara Marques da Cruz | Museu de Leiria
      Vânia Carvalho | Museu de Leiria
    • Graphic design and illustration
      Henrique Martinowski | SAMP
      Leonor Capricho | SAMP
    • Equipment design
      Paolo Martini | Novonovo
    • Exhibition set-up
      Cátia José | Museu de Leiria
      Gabriela da Rocha | SAMP
      Inês Soares e Lorenzo Scodeller | Novonovo
      Mário Coelho | Museu de Leiria
      Sara Marques da Cruz | Museu de Leiria
      Vânia Carvalho | Museu de Leiria
      Vânia Jordão | Museu de Leiria
    • Carpentry service
      João Silva | Artymanha
      Nelson Cunha | Artymanha
    • Transportation and installation of the artwork
      Mário Coelho | Museu de Leiria
      Sara Marques da Cruz | Museu de Leiria
    • Model and replica of the Lapedo Child grave
      Informação digital:
      T.A.C. (Tomografia Axial Computorizada) – Hospital Curry Cabral (Lisboa)
      Marcia Ponce de León, Christoph Zollikofer – Anthropological Institute – Universidade
      de Zurique (Suíça)
    • Digital information
      T.A.C. (Tomografia Axial Computorizada) – Hospital Curry Cabral (Lisboa) Marcia Ponce de León, Christoph Zollikofer – Anthropological Institute – Universidade
      de Zurique (Suíça)
    • Data processing and execution of the replica:
      Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão / Instituto Politécnico de Leiria – Centro para o Desenvolvimento Rápido e Sustentado do Produto Francisco Almeida e Pedro Serra | Maquete e pintura da réplica
    • Model of Abrigo do Lagar Velho
      Francisco Almeida e Pedro Serra | Maquete e pintura da réplica
    • Insurance of the artwork
      LUSITANIA, Companhia de Seguros, SA
    • Acknowledgements
      Comunidade de Columbeira
      Comissão de Melhoramentos da Columbeira
      Museu Municipal do Bombarral
      Centro de Interpretação do Abrigo do Lagar Velho
      Associação de Defesa do Património Cultural do Concelho do Bombarral
      Politécnico de Leiria
      União de Freguesias de Leiria, Pousos, Barreira e Cortes
      ANAFS – Associação Nacional de Alistados das Formações Sanitárias

Collaborators

other museums