The Museum of Migrations and Communities was created on 12 July 2001 by decision of the Fafe City Council. A pioneer of its kind in Portugal, it bases its existence on the study, preservation and communication of the material and symbolic expressions of the migratory universe and, in particular, the cycle of return of Portuguese emigrants. Its purposes are based on the perspective of knowledge of migratory movements and, in particular, of Portuguese emigration, focusing especially on emigration to Brazil in the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century and on emigration to European countries in the second half of the 20th century. It is based on the discovery of its effects, resulting from the crossing of peoples and cultures, on economic, social and cultural history and on what contributes to its historical and social understanding.

It is based in the Casa do Santo Novo by José Leite Pinto Saldanha de Castro (19th century), also known as the Municipal House of Culture.