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The
Frederico de Freitas Museum is in part the
great legacy of the man to whom the museum inherits
its name: Frederico Augusto da Cunha Freitas.
The museum is housed in the eighteenth century former
residence of the the venerable collector who practised
law in his day. It is also right opposite the São
Pedro parish church.
Opened
up only as recently as 1988 to the general public
the museum was an instant success. In particular since
It has an awesome collection of decorative tiles
from Turkish, Moorish/North African, and Hispano/Moorish
origin.  The
largest and most in-depth of its kind anywhere in
the world.
What
started out as a simple hobby by the respected solicitor
turned out to be a very impressive collection of Madeiran
artefacts which started out with the proto-tile
and continued on to up to about the late 1920's.
There
are many fine art exhibits, including an array of
art by Portuguese and German artists
from the XIII to the XVIII century. A wide
variety of ceramic and porcelain pieces, religious
sculptures, ancient sacred paintings, a collection
of approximately 2000 mugs, trophies and vases,
and an impressive collection of hand carven metal
and wooden sculptures of Chinese and north-African
origin are also on display.
The
museum is well-known amongst the locals as the Casa
da Calçada. It is regularly visited
by students and antique or artefacts enthusiasts who
come to admire the work of a true hobbyist who spent
at least thirty years of his life acquiring and accumulating
such a vivid and interesting collection.
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