Museu da Terra de Miranda

The “Museu da Terra de Miranda” is an ethnographic museum located in the city of Miranda do Douro. It is situated in the historic centre and is housed in the town’s former ‘Domus Municipalis’, an 18th-century building dating from the 17th century.
The museum building, which stretches along Rua Mouzinho de Albuquerque, reveals, through its structure, memories that transport us to the practices and history of its operation, having also served as the Municipal Prison until the year 1790.
Since 1982, the building has housed the ethnographic and archaeological collections, whose exhibition narrative aims to depict the social, cultural, religious and economic life of communities in the Land of Miranda
In the two-storey building, the south-east-facing section stands out, with a balcony running its entire length, supported by the large round-arched arcades on the ground floor.
As the visitor approaches, the open door in the right-hand arch seems to invite them in, whilst the cannon pointing east, displayed in the left-hand arch, symbolically recalls the strong military stronghold that Miranda do Douro was from the 16th century until 1762, the year in which the Castilian army destroyed the city’s fortress.
Within exhibition narrative of the “Museu da Terra de Miranda”, archaeological and historical artefacts transport visitors back through the long history of Miranda do Douro region, to the distinctiveness of the Mirandese language and the role it has played in shaping and gaining external recognition for the region’s cultural identity, as well as to the role the town once played in maintaining stability along the border between Portugal and Spain.
The museum’s collections are the result of a systematic collection carried out by a team led by António Maria Mourinho, its founder, and originate from the municipalities of Miranda do Douro, Vimioso and Mogadouro. They are divided into different categories: Archaeology, Weapons, Arts and Crafts, Hunting, Ceramics, Household Equipment, Musical Instruments, Numismatics, Ritual Objects, Shepherding, Basketry, Costume, Transport and Clothing.
Above all, it is through ethnography that the Museum aims to bring to life the culture of the Land of Miranda, transporting visitors back to its ancestral roots whilst also offering a glimpse into everyday mirandese life.
This perspective encompasses agricultural work, pastoralism, traditional trades, and domestic activities, —as well as moments of celebration and intense social interaction—most vividly expressed in the winter rituals characteristic of the North-East of Trás-os-Montes.