Cupertino de Miranda Foundation was established in October 1963, by Arthur Cupertino de Miranda and his wife Elzira Celeste Maya de Sá Cupertino de Miranda. From the beginning, this foundation’s activity has been especially focused on the visual arts, which lead to the creation of the museum. The Museum’s mission is thus to divulge Modern and Contemporary Art, particularly Surrealism.

In the heart of the city stands the Cupertino de Miranda Foundation building. Its construction took place between 1967 and 1970.

Designed by the architect João Abreu Castelo Branco, it is an emblematic building both for its tile covering, by Charters de Almeida, and for the helical structure of the tower with 10 floors and 34 meters high.

The collection consists of works of art, mostly by Portuguese Surrealist artists, such as Cruzeiro Seixas, Mário Cesariny, Eurico Gonçalves, Julio Reis Pereira, Fernando Lemos and Sergio Lima.

In 2003 the Museum joined the Portuguese Museum Network.