In the heart of Gavião, amid the rolling landscapes of Alto Alentejo, a unique cultural project in Portugal was inaugurated on July 19: the Gavião Carriage Art Museum. Born from the strategic and cultural vision of the Municipal Mayor, José Pio, the museum establishes itself as a deeply identity-based space with an Iberian vocation and a universal spirit.
Housed in a manor house of great heritage value, the museum combines the materiality of architecture with the immateriality of practices, traditions, and languages linked to the world of carriage art, in a museographic route that breaks with conventional chronology and proposes an immersive and contextual experience.
A Visit from Outside In
The museum’s uniqueness lies in its innovative "outside in" visiting concept. Before diving into the collection, visitors are invited to understand the territory, the history of the house, and the technical language of carriage art. It is through an initial glossary, which serves as a key to reading, that the interpretation of the exhibition route unfolds.
The experience is sensory, educational, and contemplative. On the top floor, the panoramic view over Gavião provides the symbolic closure of a visit that began with geography and culminates in an elevation of perspective.
Two Major Founding Collections
The museum’s opening was marked by the presentation of two founding collections:
DHD Dorantes SL Collection (Spain): Focused on accessories and artifacts from the world of carriage art, this collection reveals the technical rigor, sophisticated functionality, and refined aesthetic of international equestrian practice.
Dr. Carlos Vences Collection (Portugal): A collection where Sacred Art and daily noble-use objects intersect, revealing the symbolic and practical crossovers of carriage art in the lives of Portugal’s elite families.
Excellence in Support and Partnerships
The Gavião Carriage Art Museum also reflects a network of institutional and private collaborations sharing the same mission to preserve and enhance cultural heritage.
Notably, support comes from the Alentejo and Ribatejo Regional Tourism Authority, represented by its President, Dr. José Santos, whose presence and involvement were key in establishing the project as a tourism and cultural landmark in the region.
The museum also benefits from the generous contributions of prestigious entities and families:
- Fronteira and Alorna Houses Foundation
- Casa Carvalho Cerqueira Foundation
- António Mendo Caldeira Castelo-Branco Family (Viscount of Alter)
- António Lino Neto Family
- Eduardo Mira Cruz Family
- José Hipólito de Andrade Rebelo Vaz Raposo
- Pedro Térre
- Miguel Baena
The museum pays tribute to all, recognizing the symbolic and historical value of the trust placed in this project.
A Museum with Soul
More than an exhibition space, the Gavião Carriage Art Museum is a place where time slows down, history gains voice, and tradition asserts itself as a living art form. It is an invitation to slow discovery, to attentive observation, and to the deep connection between heritage and territory.
Gavião Carriage Art Museum
Open Tuesday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Guided tours available by appointment —
For those seeking authenticity, culturally distinctive experiences, and transformative moments, Gavião establishes itself as a new reference destination on Portugal’s cultural luxury map.