Places
António Alves e Fernando Noronha (Museu do Porto)
Open Visits
Regular Visits
Tours
Sat 10h Arq. Ivo Poças Martins / Sun 10h, Maria Augusta Marques Martins (Banco de Materiais)
Themes
Maximum 15 people per visit
No reservation required; first-come, first-served
Photography allowed
Description
The Palacete dos Viscondes de Balsemão, a building which also houses the Municipal Department of Culture, Heritage and Literature of Porto City Council, is home to the Building Materials Bank and the Triplex.
The mansion was built in the mid-18th century by the nobleman José Alvo Brandão, inherited by the Balsemão family and leased in the 1840s by António Bernardino Peixe to establish a guesthouse there. Extensive renovation work took place in the following decade, following its acquisition by the 1st Viscount of Trindade, José António de Sousa Basto, giving it its current appearance.
The Materials Bank is housed in this building. Open to the public since 2010, it promotes the preservation of materials that characterise the city’s image, collecting them from dilapidated buildings, those due for demolition or alteration, with the aim of later returning them to the city.
The Triplex comprises a set of three exhibition rooms on the ground floor.
Adapted from the Porto Museum
Location
Praça de Carlos Alberto, 71
Directions: Google Maps / Apple Maps
Public Transport
Subway: Linhas A, B, C, D, E e F - Trindade
Bus: STCP 200, 201, 207, 300, 302, 304, 305, 501, 507, 601, 602, 703