Museum Network

The Bombarral Museum Network is a Heritage treasure deployed in the service of its community after resulting from a cultural project of exceptional value in a proposal that benefits from incorporating both indoor and open air museum facilities.

The network currently contains four museums distributed throughout the council and that collectively provide a voyage through millennia of History, from the earliest days of human settlement through to contemporary times.

Museum of Bombarral

Following an extensive refurbishment, the Museum of Bombarral reopened its doors in June 2025 to unveil a complete renovation and a clear mission: promoting the Natural and Cultural Heritage of the council through inclusive and contemporaneous experiences.

The new Museum of Bombarral is structured around four core thematic axes:

Origins’ Gallery | A fascinating exploration of the council’s archaeological heritage featuring the earliest remains of the first settlers and the evolution of communities down through the centuries.

Sacred’s Gallery | An immersion into the rich local religious heritage, testimony both to the profound religiousness of communities and the influence of the Catholic Church over social and cultural life.

Forms’ Gallery | A celebration of the forms of artistic expression that flourished in the territory, ranging from popularly produced works to those by consecrated artists.

Words’ Gallery | A tribute to the literature heritage and oral tradition, complemented by a dynamic program of temporary exhibitions.

Battle of Roliça Interpretative Centre

Inaugurated on 17 November 2024, this centre specialises in preserving and promoting the memory of one of the most significant moments in Portuguese history: the Battle of Roliça, which took place on 17 August 1808.

This military confrontation, which marked the beginning of the end for Napoleonic troops in the country, here takes on a new life through modern interpretative resources that transport visitors to that decisive moment in our history just a few metres away from the actual battleground.

Castro Columbeira

Located on a hill close to Columbeira, this Copper Age settlement, thus around 4,000 years old, represents one of the most important archaeological sites in the region.

The archaeological finds revealed a prosperous and organised community: finely decorated ceramic vases, arrow tips and knives in high quality flint, polished stone axes, bone utensils and the weights of a weaving loom weight witness to the multiple activities engaged in by its inhabitants who combine agriculture with pastoralism in what was an already diversified economy for that period.

Vale do Roto Caves

They provide a unique perspective on the natural heritage of this council, with visitors gaining the opportunity to discover some of the key locations lived in by our ancestors thousands of years ago.

The Bombarral Museum Network is thus a proposal for an integrated and inclusive visit that preserves the heritage, rendering it accessible, understandable and relevant to all publics.

With contemporary museography and inclusive interpretative resources, each space contributes a coherent narrative that celebrates the rich heritage of this council ranging from its pre-historical origins through to contemporary challenges.

This networks represents not only an investment in heritage but also targets the future, creating opportunities for tourist, educational and cultural development to the benefit of the entire community and positioning Bombarral as the benchmark reference cultural destination in the Oeste region.

Contacts:

Telephone: +351 262 609 058 (call to the national landline network)

Email: museu@cm-bombarral.pt