Casa do Infante
Casa do Infante
4
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
254 reviews
Excellent
108
Very good
85
Average
50
Poor
8
Terrible
3
DezzerG
Mirfield, UK61 contributions
Mar 2020 • Couples
I’m not intending to “rubbish” this museum, as we had been advised that it was really worth a visit. However, I can hardly give endorsement to a venue that’s closed when the internet tells me it’s open.
We turned up today (12-3-2020), only to find a notice slapped on the door ..... closed until further notice was the message, echoed by a member of staff as he disappeared through the front door.
It happened two days ago, but the web site still shows opening hours. I don’t think so!
We’re going home tomorrow; be aware that this isn’t the only museum closed.
We turned up today (12-3-2020), only to find a notice slapped on the door ..... closed until further notice was the message, echoed by a member of staff as he disappeared through the front door.
It happened two days ago, but the web site still shows opening hours. I don’t think so!
We’re going home tomorrow; be aware that this isn’t the only museum closed.
Written March 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
hans-jaguar
Santa Comba Dao, Portugal23,944 contributions
Dec 2023 • Solo
The casa do Infante was built in the year 1325, and got the name of “Casa do Infante” because Henry the Navigator was presumably born there. The building, who is one of the oldest in the city of Porto, was also the largest in size, especially due to the two towers built in the 14th century, which have long since disappeared. The national monument has served different purposes over time, as a residence for official visits from the royal house, the city's old Customs House and the Mint that had its services installed there for several centuries. In the 90s the house was restored and, as a result of archaeological excavations, traces of modern, medieval and Roman occupation were revealed. The mosaic floors, among other discoveries, indicate that it was still the home or mansion of a wealthy citizen in the Roman period. This is a very need location that you cannot miss during your visit of Porto, even on a sunny or rainy day it is worth while to make the visit, it is bigger on the inside than you can imagine by seeing it on the front.
Written December 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
B T
London, UK1,173 contributions
May 2023 • Solo
This museum is where Henry the Navigator was supposed to have been born. The original buildings are long gone, but inside there is information about the history of Porto and Portuguese navigation. It's a bit of a mish mash of different things inside. Staff are very friendly.
Written May 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jen M
14 contributions
Jul 2024 • Couples
We've been really curious about Henry the Navigator and the very long relationship between Portugal and England, is we were desperate to know more about the history of the city and its most famous son.
This museum is one of the best in Porto, in my opinion, with some impressively high tech exhibits, including one on ceramics that was touchscreen and had some gorgeous floral animations.
In general I felt we got a decent run-through of the life of Henry the Navigator and the extent of the Portuguese exploration of Cape Horn, South Africa and the Far East. I would have liked to see so much more of this and with more investment in actually telling the tale. The City of Porto should invest more in this! It's really good but could be amazing!
There was also an interesting overview of how the site was first used by the Romans, before being near-obliterated, then built back up again from the Mediaeval era to modern day. A good coin exhibition and entertaining Monty Python-esque cartoons of workers in the Mint. I also enjoyed the diagrams showing what era all the various holes in the walls were from, which I haven't really seen before. There was a one-room exhibition about the revolution of 25 April 1974, mostly of pamphlets with no English translation. I was really keen to know more as it's so pivotal to the city's history so this seems like a ludicrous oversight. Again, Porto: please invest in telling the story of your city and its people!
I'm prepared to overlook some infuriatingly bad and illogical organisation that leaves you trying to work out timelines backwards (hint: try entering on the right rather than the left, as instructed, if you want to learn about Henry the Navigator in a way that makes more sense). There are also some poor English translations, but my Portuguese is also poor, so that hardly seems fair.
This museum is one of the best in Porto, in my opinion, with some impressively high tech exhibits, including one on ceramics that was touchscreen and had some gorgeous floral animations.
In general I felt we got a decent run-through of the life of Henry the Navigator and the extent of the Portuguese exploration of Cape Horn, South Africa and the Far East. I would have liked to see so much more of this and with more investment in actually telling the tale. The City of Porto should invest more in this! It's really good but could be amazing!
There was also an interesting overview of how the site was first used by the Romans, before being near-obliterated, then built back up again from the Mediaeval era to modern day. A good coin exhibition and entertaining Monty Python-esque cartoons of workers in the Mint. I also enjoyed the diagrams showing what era all the various holes in the walls were from, which I haven't really seen before. There was a one-room exhibition about the revolution of 25 April 1974, mostly of pamphlets with no English translation. I was really keen to know more as it's so pivotal to the city's history so this seems like a ludicrous oversight. Again, Porto: please invest in telling the story of your city and its people!
I'm prepared to overlook some infuriatingly bad and illogical organisation that leaves you trying to work out timelines backwards (hint: try entering on the right rather than the left, as instructed, if you want to learn about Henry the Navigator in a way that makes more sense). There are also some poor English translations, but my Portuguese is also poor, so that hardly seems fair.
Written July 28, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Catherine
Singapore, Singapore605 contributions
Jul 2022 • Solo
Well explained little museum- it was free on the Sunday when I got there! Focuses on the history of the customs house and mint which were on site, plus a little on Henry the Navigator and the various expanses to the Portuguese empire.
Written July 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Arzich
Porto, Portugal13 contributions
I live here since i was borned and i knew this house of the Prince how it was before they closed it for remoddeling. Then i went a few months ago to see the result and let me say that is a fine work. The architect, Tassos de Souza, made an wonderful work because in my opinion you can see how it was in the middle age but at the same time how it can respond to the new millenium as a libray, the old and the new are mixed in a soft way. The new matterials bound with the rough stones placed by those who discovered the world and wanted to give us new horizons. In its nature , the building shows and you can imagine how it was the life of the royal family there, you see the old paths and the new paths showing differences in the way of living. An advice, when you enter the building look at the high of it and remember where you are and where you want to be, and then look at your steps and distances, with this you can imagine how was to live in there in those days. I think that everybody can imagine a lots of storys about important facts that took place there.
Written October 23, 2002
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
fsetor
Dungarvan, Ireland19 contributions
Aug 2019 • Couples
Very well done exhibition in the very house where Henry the Navigator is reputed to have been born. It was also the mint in medieval times and the exhibits explain the history well. There is an excellent interactive model of medieval Porto. The fact it is free was a bonus. The staff are friendly.
Written August 4, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
auntie of port
Porto, Portugal21 contributions
Oct 2019
This museum is free to those who are over 65 years, not free tor everyone. I would have paid a lot more to walk this historic museum and read and view its huge amount of information. A docent would have been nice, but they work on a shoestring budget. I see that trip advisor offers a personal tour of this museum which might be nice if you want more information.
So, some highlights: The mosaic floors from the actual castle; good use of digital displays to focus on porcelain brought back from Asia; good use of interactive displays of indigenous flora and fauna brought back from Brazil complete with animal sounds. The diorama of the city that uses a red laser light to point out areas of Porto from Henry the Navigator’s days was very informative. It helped my understanding of the various areas of Porto snd how they developed. we had seen what turned out be parts of the original city wall in Batahla near the Funicular. I could go on and on, but I believe you must see this yourself, since each person has different interests. Unfortunately, the entry to this fine museum is currently hidden behind scaffolding and red and orange netting. All text is provided in Portuguese, English, French and one other language I did not know (Spanish?). Here are their hours as I remember them. Closed Mondays. Other days open 9:30am to 5:30pm, except for Tuesdays, when they are closed from 1-2pm. They may be closed Sundays too.
So, some highlights: The mosaic floors from the actual castle; good use of digital displays to focus on porcelain brought back from Asia; good use of interactive displays of indigenous flora and fauna brought back from Brazil complete with animal sounds. The diorama of the city that uses a red laser light to point out areas of Porto from Henry the Navigator’s days was very informative. It helped my understanding of the various areas of Porto snd how they developed. we had seen what turned out be parts of the original city wall in Batahla near the Funicular. I could go on and on, but I believe you must see this yourself, since each person has different interests. Unfortunately, the entry to this fine museum is currently hidden behind scaffolding and red and orange netting. All text is provided in Portuguese, English, French and one other language I did not know (Spanish?). Here are their hours as I remember them. Closed Mondays. Other days open 9:30am to 5:30pm, except for Tuesdays, when they are closed from 1-2pm. They may be closed Sundays too.
Written October 1, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John B
Canberra, Australia23 contributions
Aug 2019
A very well presented and informative museum embracing the history of Porto (including maritime exploration by Henry the Navigator) in a lovely mediaeval building. The excellent exhibition areas are fully captioned in English.
Free entrance at weekends.
It is located in the historic Rebeira area, close to the riverfront.
Free entrance at weekends.
It is located in the historic Rebeira area, close to the riverfront.
Written August 26, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lisa S
Orlando, FL35 contributions
Jul 2018 • Couples
This is a very approachable museum as its layout invites the visitor to journey inward and upward. The historical significance of how this one time mint helped to finance world exploration cannot be dismissed. The modern western world that so many of us inhabit can trace its roots to this place, the probable birthplace of Henry the Navigator. The space is quite modern while allowing guests a peek at the foundations of the literal building and also exhibiting rare objects from its various refurbishments. I felt compelled to thank and compliment the curators for such a fine endeavor.
Written July 22, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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