But ... the Aveiro Museum is a Must See!

We had a couple of hours to kill before catching the train to Coimbra, so we walked to the Aveiro Museum and did a whirlwind tour! So happy that we didn’t miss it. It is a must-see!

The Museum of Aveiro is housed in the old Convent of Jesus, an all female part of the Dominican Order. This convent, one of the oldest convents in Aveiro, dates back to the 2nd half of the 15th century. The Princess D. Joana, daughter of the King D. Afonso V, entered this house in 1475, in order to lead a saint’s life.

Her story is quite interesting. From a young age, Joana expressed a desire to become a nun. However, as she was second-in-line to the throne, her father did not allow it.

After vehemently refusing several proposals of marriage, she joined the Dominican Convent of Jesus in Aveiro in 1475. Her brother had, by then, been given an heir, so the family line was no longer in danger of extinction. Still, she was compelled several times to leave the convent and return to the court. She turned down an offer of marriage from Charles VIII of France, 18 years her junior. In 1485, she received another offer, from the recently widowed Richard III of England, who was only 8 months younger. This was to be part of a double marital alliance, with his niece Elizabeth of York marrying her cousin, the future Manuel I. However, Richard died in battle and neither marriage took place.Joana allegedly had a prophetic dream that foreshadowed his death.

She died in 1490 and was beatified in the 1600s - Princess Saint Joana.

The museum is huge and we could have easily spent a few hours there. Being seniors, we didn’t have to pay an admission fee!

On the ground floor where we entered we saw the elaborate tomb of Princess Saint Joana; the Church of Jesus; the cloister with its chapels; the chapter room and the refectory.

The Church of Jesus is decorated in golden woodwork along with Portuguese “azulejos” (hand-painted decorative tiles). This church is an incredible example of exuberant baroque decoration.It was a wow moment when we entered this church.

We entered the cloister dating back to the late 15th century and 16th century and were able to go into a few rooms to see how the nuns lived.

On the upper floor the cloister leads to the high choir and several devotion chapels. The permanent exhibition room has two remains of the former convent: the Crafts’Room and the Chapel of Senhor dos Passos.

We thought that we were done and then were ushered into the huge museum which holds a significant collection of paintings, sculptures, tile and jewels. we took SO many photos. What a treasure trove!Read more