The Museu da Cultura Castreja is located in Solar da Ponte, an old farmhouse built in the late 18th century. Francisco Martins Sarmento (1833-1899), who lived in Guimarães, used this space as a country house and stayed here during the archaeological work he carried out in Citânia de Briteiros and Castro de Sabroso, both located nearby. Sarmento received several friends at Solar da Ponte, such as Camilo Castelo Branco, Ricardo Severo and the European researchers who visited the citania in 1880.
In the space of the old manor house, the permanent exhibition evokes the life and work of the archaeologist, with some interesting pieces that remind the visitor of the work he carried out, such as his cameras, his field notebooks and some bibliographical treasures that formed part of his library. In another section, some archaeological materials collected in Citânia de Briteiros and Castro de Sabroso are displayed, such as decorated elements of the houses, stone sculptures, examples of various types of pottery from the Iron Age and the Roman period and metal objects of common use, such as personal ornaments, tools and weapons.
The Pedra Formosa da Citânia is the Museum’s greatest exponent, fitting its use in one of the city’s castreño spas.