Christianity and Art
Portugal
PORTUGAL
MUSEUMS
Braga:
- The Baroque cathedral Sé houses a museum with church treasures, gifts by believers, golden crosses etc.
Madeira:
- Museu de Arte Sacra: The Museum of Sacred Art occupies an old bishop's house in the center of town. Many of its exhibitions came from island churches, some of which are no longer standing. Its most interesting collections are a series of paintings from the Portuguese and Flemish schools of the 15th and 16th centuries. The paintings are on wood (often oak); an outstanding example is the 1518 Adoration of the Magi. A rich merchant commissioned it and paid for it with sugar. A triptych depicts St. Philip and St. James, and there's an exceptional painting called Descent from the Cross. Ivory sculpture, gold and silver plate, and gilded wood ornamentations round out the collection.