Soares dos Reis Museum 
The Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis, former Museu Portuense and first art museum in Portugal, was born in 1833, when D. Pedro IV of Portugal decided to establish in the city of Porto a Museu de Pinturas e Estampas (Paintings and Prints Museum). The aim of the foundation of this Museum was the preservation of the artistic heritage that came mainly from extinct convents, and the simultaneous promotion of its use for cultural and pedagogical purposes. The Museum has been settled since 1940 in the Palacio dos Carrancas, currently considered a public interest property, and it was built in the late 18th century, by a wealthy family of Porto. It has recently been subjected to a profound renovation and enlargement intervention, accordingly with the project of the architect Fernando Távora, who granted the Museum new and qualified interior and exterior spaces, preserving the features of the historic building.
