José Régio House Museum

A visit to the life of José Régio... and beyond

The House-Museum of José Régio, in the town of Portalegre, is one of the obligatory stops in this Alto Alentejo town, located in the district of the same name. The building is the ideal place for those who want to know the life and work of the author José Régio, who lived in this house for 34 years. The Centro de Estudos Regianos (CER) tells us that this house was a boarding house where the writer - born in Vila do Conde - first stayed, due to his placement at the Liceu Mouzinho da Silveira.

History of the House

The building is part of José Régio's life, but also has its own history. It was built in the 17th century as an annex to the convent of S. Brás, of which some remains remain. It was also used as a headquarters during the Peninsular Wars, and was later turned into a boarding house when King Regio stayed there.

As space became scarce, José Regio rented out rooms, eventually becoming the sole guest. This continued until 1965, when he sold his collection to the Portalegre town council. The condition of the sale was that the municipality should buy the house, restore it and turn it into a museum. Ah, and the possession of the house by the town council would only take effect after the death of the author. And that's what happened... more or less. José Régio died on 22 December 1969, but the museum did not open until 23 May 1971.

This house-museum is therefore one of the most interesting places in the town of Portalegre, which for many years was home to the poet and playwright who, although not a native of the town, will always be linked to it. The building is divided into 17 permanent exhibition rooms and a storeroom, on two floors, in which the collection is distributed, including sculptures, paintings, earthenware, furniture, metals, textiles and documents.

The José Régio collection

The collection, CER reveals, is the result of José Régio's strong interest in antiques and collecting. Buying and selling antiques quickly became a passion, which can now be discovered in this casa-museu. Amongst all this we find pewter, copper, forged irons and other curiosities of Alentejo craftsmanship, as well as bread and cake forms, paintings, thimbles and horn objects. The central element of the collection is the sacred art figures that José Régio accumulated throughout his life, focusing mainly on Christ, in various interpretations.

Practical information

Opening hours of the House-museum

The Casa-museu José Régio is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 9am to 1pm and from 2pm to 6pm. It is closed on Mondays and public holidays.

Entrance fee

- Students and under 14s: Free

- Adult: 2,10 euros

- Senior citizens: 1,00 euros

- Group (10 people or more): 1,00 euros

Access to the city of Portalegre

Getting to Portalegre is a task that can be accomplished in different ways: Portalegre is a border town, served by the IP3 road, the main road link. In terms of public transport, there is a network of road links between Lisbon and Portalegre, as well as between Porto and Portalegre.