Collections
Alcoutim Municipal Museum’s collections are representative of human activity in the municipality of Alcoutim and are essentially composed of ethnographic, science, antique art and archaeological objects and materials, from the most varied sources.
The museum’s current inventory consists of the following collections:
The huge set of artefacts and objects of an ethnographic nature belongs to different collections. Comprising items donated by private individuals or institutions or purchased by the local authority, the items began to be gathered during the 1990s and include: the collection of the blacksmith’s house, comprising everyday objects from a forge and a blacksmith’s and farrier’s workshop; the River Museum’s collection, comprising old fishing equipment of everyday use for work on the river; agricultural tools and domestic utensils; and items of handicraft, among others. These collections provide evidence of local history and the rural lives of people in Alcoutim during the 20th century.
The artifacts and objects that are part of the collections of the Museum Center Dr. João Dias belong to two distinct collections, but complementary; the Holy House of Mercy collection, basically made up of pieces of hospital furniture, and the Dias family collection, made up mainly of medical and surgical objects, photographs and a small specialty library. These two collections comprise a vast set of artifacts and objects that show the history of medical care in Alcoutim and the practice of medicine by the honorable Dr. João Dias.
The primary school collection comprises a variety of objects from the old primary schools in the municipality, of which they stand out; teacher’s desk and chair, slate board, desks, maps, school manuals, precision objects, teaching materials for the study of mathematics and science, stamps, ink cartridges and ink, nibs, flags, photographs and crucifix.
A collection brought together for the exhibition commemorating the 50th anniversary of the inauguration of the Water Supply and Electricity Distribution Services of the Town of Alcoutim, comprising water meters, diagrams, maps, brochures, notebooks, record books, news reports, minute book, inaugural plaque and an album of photographs of the inauguration of these services by the then President of the Republic, Américo Tomás.
The artefacts and objects that make up the collection of Antique Art / Religious Art mainly belong to the collection of the Chapel of Our Lady of the Conception.
The collection comprises items of liturgical furniture, hangings, sculptures, altarpieces, tiles, diagrams and others.
Formed since the 1980s, the collection includes a range of archaeological materials that have been gathered, as well as from archaeological digs. Owing to its unique character, the highlight of the latter is the collection of Islamic boards and playing pieces, which has been declared to be of regional or even national importance; it comprises 39 boards carved on schist slabs, some complete, others in fragments, of six different types: Nine Men’s Morris, Tapatan, Tabula, Soldier (?), Alquerque and Mancala III (?) and 18 small playing pieces, which came from a single archaeological site, the Old Castle of Alcoutim.
The collection consists of furniture, different office equipment used in the City Hall since the mid-twentieth century, as well as pictures, plans, diplomas, souvenirs, trophies, offers and other objects offered to successive executives and presidents.
Highlighting the “Gallery of Presidents of Alcoutim ‘consisting of replicas of photographs of mayors from 1910 to 2001.
From the 90s of XX century, the Municipality of Alcoutim began promoting a regular program of art and photography exhibitions, initiating a collection which features, watercolors and drawings of Carlos Luz, Fernando Teixeira watercolors, prints “My Álvaro de Campos visits the Algarve”, photographs by Jean-Marc Godès and a painting by Robert Black.