As the Azores mark the 50th anniversary of Regional Autonomy, the The Azores' Autonomy exhibition, on display at the newest branch of the Carlos Machado Museum in the Palácio da Conceição, invites visitors to explore one of the most significant milestones in the Region's history.
Through an interactive exhibition experience, visitors follow the evolution of the autonomy process, from the First Autonomy Movement to Constitutional Autonomy, discovering the key events, figures, and achievements that shaped the Azores' political and institutional identity. More than a journey through the past, the exhibition encourages reflection on the meaning of autonomy and its contribution to the development of the Region and the construction of Azorean identity.
The Natural History Circuit presents a naturalist collection that was the basis for the Museum. It is distributed over 8 rooms where diversity, knowledge and the exotic, along with different fields of scientific knowledge, are exhibited, with special importance to zoology, geology, mineralogy and botany.
This tour presents the architectural characteristics of past convent buildings, but also the diversity of spaces, their dynamics and purposes, as well as exploring the way of life of the Poor Clares belonging to the female branch of the Order of Friars Minor, founded by Saint Francis of Assisi.
The Sacred Art circuit focuses on the old College Church, where the lush façade, the resplendence of the altarpiece of the main altar, as well as the collection of 17th century tiles are assumed as a whole, in a unique monument of Baroque style. To this is added a gallery with a diversified collection where pieces from the 16th century stand out, as well as a valuable collection of works with a religious theme.