The new Carmen Miranda Museum, in Marco de Canaveses, Portugal, with an estimated cost of € 1.1 million is expected to be be completed in June of 2021.
The project foresees the connection of two buildings, former houses of magistrates, transformed into the Carmen Miranda Museum and Municipal Library. A new, more modern structure will now appear, respecting the architectural line of the existing building, according to the planners. The new museum will have twice as much previous area and will have an educational space dedicated to children. There will also be a part dedicated to those who left the country. There will also be a musical project, which will showcase the songs and images of the unique actress and singer.
Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha was born on the 9th February 1909 in Marco de Canaveses, Portugal. The small Portuguese town is situated in the municipality of the Porto district, in the Northern part of Portugal. During World War II, she became the highest-paid female performer in the United States. Between 1941 and 1955, Carmen traveled to Europe, Canada and Cuba and participated in thirteen more movies.
The Museum was created by decision of the municipality on November 8th, 1952 and officially opened in 1963, in the arcades of the Municipal Garden. From August 1970 to 1981, it occupied three rooms of the former Conde de Ferreira Primary School, next to the Town Hall. In 1981, the collection was transferred to one of the former Houses of Magistrates on Alameda Dr. Miranda da Rocha. In the 1980’s, it received gifts from the Brazilian community that were meant to render tribute to Carmen Miranda. Since then, the museum has adopted the name Carmen Miranda Municipal Museum.
In the past, the Carmen Miranda Municipal Museum had three areas: a museum collection composed by a set of collections (painting, sculpture, numismatic, sacred art, ethnography); the so-called Art Space, dedicated to temporary exhibitions of various artistic currents or themes; and the Carmen Miranda room, with reference to this illustrious inhabitant of Marco de Canaveses who has indelibly marked the name of Portugal in the cinematographic and musical panorama.
The room gathers the collection of her work, which the municipality has been trying to increase through the Carmen Miranda Award and the Carmen Miranda Plastic Expression Contest, among other initiatives.
The new Carmen Miranda Museum has received an estimated 85% of contributions from EU funding.
