Câmara Municipal de Mértola

Câmara Municipal de Mértola is the town hall of Mértola, a small town in the Baixo Alentejo on the right bank of the Guadiana river. The Paços do Concelho building dates from 1896 and was designed to hold municipal offices. Visitors come for a different reason, though: its cellar preserves the remains of a Roman house, now one of the sites of the Museu de Mértola.

What lies beneath Mértola's town hall?

The Casa Romana is a Roman-era dwelling displayed where it was found. It came to light in 1982, when repairs were under way after a fire had destroyed the building's interior. Rather than bury the discovery, the council changed its plans and turned the ruins into an exhibit. You walk over the foundations of the house, and display cases show architectural fragments, funerary inscriptions, pottery and metalwork from roughly the 1st to 4th centuries AD. The cellar museum opened in the late 1980s, although sources disagree on the exact year.

Why is Mértola called a museum town?

Mértola holds the title Vila Museu. The Campo Arqueológico has worked here since 1978, led by archaeologist Cláudio Torres together with the municipality. Today the council owns the museum, while the Campo Arqueológico provides scientific direction under a 2004 agreement. The collection is spread across several sites in town: Roman, Visigothic (including an early Christian basilica) and Islamic, the last holding one of Portugal's best displays of Islamic art.

What else is nearby?

• The castle on the hill, built in the late 13th century after Christian forces took the town from Muslim rule; its keep is dated to 1292 and tied to the Order of Santiago.
• Igreja Matriz (Nossa Senhora da Anunciação), a former mosque that shows how religious and architectural influences blended.
• Vila Velha, the historic quarter, which the municipality has long been revitalising.
• Views over the Guadiana and the surrounding hills from the lower town.

How to visit

The town hall stands in the centre, so combine it with a stroll through the old streets. The building works as an ordinary administrative office, while the Casa Romana is entered as part of the museum. Check opening hours and tickets with the municipality or museum before you go, as they can change. The cellar takes a short visit; the whole town fills half a day or a full one.

Frequently asked questions

Is there anything to see inside Mértola's town hall? Yes. The cellar holds the remains of a Roman house, part of the Museu de Mértola.

When was the Paços do Concelho built? In 1896, to house municipal offices.

How was the Casa Romana found? It was uncovered in 1982 during repairs after a fire in the building, and the council chose to put it on display.

Who runs the museum? The Mértola municipality, with scientific direction from the Campo Arqueológico de Mértola under a 2004 agreement.