Cultural places in Portugal

Museum • Sesimbra, Setúbal

The Maritime Museum of Sesimbra, housed in the Fortress of Santiago, presents the town’s long relationship with the sea and fishing. Opened to the public in 2016, it forms part of the Municipal Museum of Sesimbra and organises its route through several spaces within the fortress. The exhibition brings together material heritage and memories collected with the fishing community, giving voice to the knowledge of seafarers. Among the oldest objects are an anchor stock around five thousand years old, and hooks and net weights dated between 2500 and 200 BC. The route addresses fishermen’s journeys, routes, fishing grounds, fishing techniques, boatbuilding, maritime devotions, the Professor Luiz Saldanha Marine Park and the relationship of King Carlos with Sesimbra. With models, films, documents and interactive technology, the museum turns local history into a narrative of work, identity and continuity.