Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis

The Museu Nacional de Soares dos Reis is housed in the former Carrancas Palace, which was owned by Moraes Castro. The appellation name is borrowed by the nickname of the family that had it built at the end of the 18th century as housing and factory.

During his lifetime the palace was the official residence of General Soult, Duke of Wellington and General Beresford during the Peninsular Wars. Later it was during 4 months headquarters of D. Pedro IV, having been abandoned because of the strong exposure to the absolutist guns in Gaia, when the king goes to the street of Cedofeita. Unable to maintain their residence, Moraes Castro sells the building to D. Pedro V to be the royal residence of the North. Finally, Don Manuel II donates the building to the holy house so that a hospital can be built there.

The Museu Soares dos Reis is the first public art museum in the country and the history of its collection begins with the collection collected from the extinct monasteries outside Oporto, housed in the then monastery of Saint Anthony in São Lázaro. He also passed the Academy of Fine Arts, where he began his collaboration with educational institutions. With the reforms of the republic after 1910 the museum receives the name of the famous author Soares dos Reis, first state pensioner in sculpture, and the title of national museum. It was officially acquired by the state in 1930 and opened ten years later.