Frei Manuel do Cenáculo National Museum

The Frei Manuel do Cenáculo National Museum occupies the former episcopal palace next to the cathedral, and its collections cover two millennia of Évora's history. The ground floor holds Roman inscriptions, sculptures, and mosaics excavated from the city and surrounding region — notably some excellent funerary steles and a remarkable mosaic floor depicting the seasons. Upper floors hold medieval and Renaissance paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts.

The standout works are the 16 Flemish panel paintings produced for the diocese in the early 16th century, attributed to the workshop of Frei Carlos — a German or Flemish monk who settled in Portugal and produced some of the finest paintings in the country. The museum is well laid out and the building itself, with its Moorish arches and tiled corridors, is part of the interest.

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A story
The museum is named for Frei Manuel do Cenáculo, the 18th-century bishop who spent 40 years assembling the collection that forms its core. He had an unusually systematic mind for the period — he catalogued Roman milestones, collected medieval manuscripts, and corresponded with the Enlightenment's leading antiquarians. His collection, bequeathed to the city on his death in 1814, became the foundation of what is now one of Portugal's finest regional museums.