The Wool Museum of the University of Beira Interior was established with the purpose of safeguarding the area of dry cleaners of the Royal Rags Factory, a manufacture of the State, founded by the Marquis of Pombal in 1764, integrated into the premises of the University of Beira Interior and classified as Building of Public Interest, in 1982 by Decree-Law No. 28/82 of 26 February.
It is a museum of science and technology and aims at the active safeguarding and conservation of textile industrial heritage, as well as the research and dissemination of technology associated with the industrialization process of wool. It also aims to contextualize this activity in anthropological, social, economic, cultural, political, institutional and environmental spheres, in a vast area that has per array the Serra da Estrela and the city of Covilhã as its historical centre, asserting itself as a centre of interpretation of the peninsular tourist route of wool-TRANSLANA.
"The threads of the past weaving the future" is the motto of the Wool Museum. According to this principle, it argues for an "active conservation" of its heritage.
The Wool Museum is a polynuclear
Museum which integrates the following cores:
- Core of the Real Fábrica de Panos – focused on the period of pre and proto industrialization of wool (XVIII).
- Core of the Sun Tenters – consisting of a set of sun tenters and a wool drying ground, which is a wooden or iron frame, fitted with brackets, where the pieces of cloth or materials are put to dry in the wool factories.
- Core of Real Fábrica Veiga/ Interpretation Centre of Wool – Seat of the Museum since 2004, with valances of Core Museum of Industrialization of Wool (19th and 20th centuries) and Documentation Centre/ Historical Archive of the Wool.
SERVICES
Documentation Centre/ Historical archive
Specialized in the textiles/wool activity area, this centre brings together a vast body of documents from public and private extinct entities and from textile businessmen, technicians and workmen. It features bibliography and documentation on the textile industry and on the industrial heritage and archaeology.
Educational service
It organizes guided tours for groups, by appointment, and workshops specialized in weaving craft, by phone, fax or e-mail.
Areas of temporary exhibitions
The centre has two expositive areas suited to themes of the textile/wool and plastic arts.
Auditorium
Room with 50 seats, equipped with audiovisual equipment.
Cafeteria
It gives access to the cafeteria of the University of Beira Interior (Pole 1) and direct free access to the cafeteria of the Core of Real Fábrica Veiga, opened during the same opening hours of the Museum.
Store
Two stores operating next to the two reception desks (Real Fábrica de Panos and Real Fábrica Veiga) in the same opening hours of the Museum.
Accessibility
- Bus from Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Guarda, Lisbon and Porto. (Bus stop next to the Core of the Real Fábrica de Panos and 100 m from the Core of the Real Fábrica Veiga.)
- The Beira Baixa train line (Lisboa/Covilhã), with access to the city of Guarda and connection to Beira Alta line, with access to Porto, Coimbra, Spain and other European countries.
- Parking, in the heart of the Real Fábrica Veiga, accessible by request at the front desk.
Timetables
Headquarters and information centre/historical archive
- Monday to Friday - 09:00-12:30 | 2:30 pm-5:30 pm
Core of the Real Fábrica Veiga
- Tuesday to Sunday - 9:30-12:00 | 2:30 pm-06:00 pm
Core of the Real Fábrica de Panos
- Tuesday to Sunday - 9:30-12:00 | 2:30 pm-06:00 pm
Core of the Sun Tenters
- Free access from the outside
Cafeteria
- Access to the cafeteria of the University of Beira Interior (Pole 1) and direct and free access to the Core of The Real Fábrica Veiga, open at lunchtime, with meal service.