 Geography
Population
Economy
Rural and Urban Society
History
Religion
|
|
The Chaves Regional
Museum
The
Museu da Região Flaviense is installed in one of the most important
buildings of modern Chaves. This was the barracks of the Main
Guard and a military prison built in 1739 possibly on the site of the
palace of the Dukes of Bragança. Even today the building is
called by that name..
It is on the Praça de Camões, which also has the City Hall, the
Misericordia Church, and the Santa Maria Maior Church.
The municipal library is installed in the same building and is
surprisingly well organized, with many collections of rare books about
local history.
A
large stone coat of arms of the Duke of Bragança sits imposingly above
the doorway. The museum
details the history of the area through archaeology and ethnography.
There are remains of the Roman occupation, such as coins and
pottery, and prehistoric stone relics among which is a human figure
probably made about 2,000 BC.
Here you will also find a section of modern art, mainly of local
artists. Special mention
should be made for the exhibit of Nadir Afonso, one of Portugal’s most
famous painters of contemporary art, who was a native of Chaves.
The
Town Hall
In
the spacious Praça de Camões, you can find perhaps the most beautiful
mansion in Chaves. It was
built in the nineteenth century and was the largest private building of
its time. In 1861 it was
purchased by the Municipal Government of Chaves to install its services.
While outside it preserves its graceful and elegant exterior façade,
inside it has been completely renovated to become a functional
government office building.
|