Museu de Angra do Heroísmo

About

The Angra do Heroísmo Museum is situated in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Angra do Heroísmo on Terceira Island in the Azores archipelago, which is an autonomous region of Portugal. The museum covers the history and culture of Portugal in relation to that of the Azores and, specifically, Terceira Island and the city of Angra. In addition to its main location, in the former Convent of Saint Francis in Angra, there are also other smaller museums and sites in Terceira that fall under the Museum's remit.

History: The museum was officially founded on 30 March 1949. Its first director was Manuel Coelho Baptista de Lima, who supervised its development over three decades. It was first based in Bettencourt Palace in Angra, sharing the building with the Angra District Archives between 1951 and 1969, before being transferred to its current location, the former Convent of Saint Francis, which has a church and cloister of significant architectural importance. It was run by the Autonomous District of Angra do Heroísmo until that became part of the Government of the Azores in 1976. The building was seriously damaged by the earthquake of 1 January 1980. While, some rooms on the lower floor...