History
The museum was founded in 1833 as Museum Portuense by King Peter IV. Initially it was housed in the St Anthony Convent in the centre of Porto and its exhibits consisted of religious art confiscated from convents and works of art from the absolutists, followers of Miguel I of Portugal, who had struggled against Peter IV a year before. During the 19th century the museum made several acquisions that are still the main nucleus of the collection. In 1911 the museum was named Soares dos Reis in honour of the celebrated Porto sculptor.
In 1942 the museum was transferred from the centre of the city to the old Carrancas Palace, which greatly improved the conditions for the storage and exhibition of the collections. Between 1992 and 2001 the museum was expanded and modernised under a project by architect Fernando Távora.
Read more about this topic: National Museum Soares Dos Reis
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