Those passing by on the street will not suspect that this house built in 1893 hides a museum in Porto- to be exact, in Rua Costa Cabral, 800 meters from Marquês do Marquês square. It is one of the most secret places in Porto.
In the Fernando de Castro House Museum nothing has been left to chance, and the density of the decoration is absolutely breathtaking.
During the first half of the 20th century, Fernando de Castro gathered a vast collection of paintings, sculptures, books, and objects, in addition to immense gilded or painted carvings with which he created surprising environments. The result is a universe apart, where the creativity of the collector (who was also a caricaturist and poet) makes us feel like we are in the Palace of Versailles, in St. Francis Church, or just in an artist’s studio. However, little is known about the creator of this “palace”.
After Fernando de Castro’s death, the house and its contents were given to the Soares dos Reis Museum.
This house is usually closed to the public, and very few people have visited it in the last 80 years. You will feel special for having access to one of the most secret places in Porto. You can visit the museum currently only by booking an airbnb experience.
You will be guided through 11 rooms, becoming more and more intimate with the creator of the house, getting to know a little more about the Portuguese painters who lived in the city and who have so marked the culture of Oporto.
