About this place
Casa-Museu Guerra Junqueiro is a house museum in Porto's historic centre, set in a Baroque townhouse that once belonged to the poet and politician Guerra Junqueiro. The house and everything in it were given to the city, so visitors can still step into the domestic world of a passionate collector of furniture, textiles, ceramics and silver.
Where is the museum and how do you find it?
The building lies in the old cathedral quarter, within the merged civil parishes of Cedofeita, Santo Ildefonso, Sé, Miragaia, São Nicolau and Vitória. It sits on a side street behind the Sé cathedral, which is why many visitors walk past it, even though it is only minutes from the best-known sights. The coordinates are roughly 41.1425 N, 8.6106 W. The property is classified in Portugal as an Imóvel de Interesse Público, a property of public interest.
Who was Guerra Junqueiro?
Guerra Junqueiro (1850-1923) was a poet, author and politician. His best-known works include Finis Patriae (1890) and Os Simples (1892). After his death the house stayed in the family, and in 1940 his daughter donated the building and its contents to the city of Porto, which is how the museum came to exist.
What is known about the building's history?
The Baroque house dates from around 1730. It is thought it may have been designed by Nicolau Nasoni (1691-1773), the Italian architect behind many of Porto's most famous buildings. Before Junqueiro acquired it, it was the home of a canon of Porto Cathedral. The residential feel survives: this is not a monumental palace but a house where someone really lived among his collections.
What can you see in the collection?
The collection includes furniture, Flemish tapestries, ceramics, glassware, silverware and religious art, mostly from the 15th to the 19th century. The silver holdings are especially extensive. The furniture ranges from Portuguese pieces to items from regions once within Portugal's overseas sphere of influence, including Macau and Japan. Together they show how far Portuguese trade and artistic contacts reached.
Who is it for?
It suits anyone who enjoys period interiors, decorative arts and quieter museums. A visit does not take long, and the intimate scale means you can look at the pieces without crowds. It pairs naturally with a visit to the nearby cathedral and old town.
Frequently asked questions
Is the building a protected monument? Yes, it holds Imóvel de Interesse Público status.
Who built the house? The Baroque house of around 1730 is possibly attributed to Nicolau Nasoni, though this is not certain.
Where did the collection come from? It was assembled by Guerra Junqueiro, and his daughter gave the house and contents to the city in 1940.
What kinds of objects are on display? Furniture, Flemish tapestries, ceramics, glass, silver and religious art from the 15th to 19th centuries.
Where exactly is it? On a side street behind the Sé cathedral in central Porto.
Check current opening hours and ticket prices on Porto's official municipal museum pages before you go.
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