PORTO SIGHTS
MONUMENTS
MUSEUMS
MAIN STREETS, SQUARES, DISTRICTS
CHURCHES
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SERRALVES MUSEUM
PORTO'S CULTURAL EDEN
This world-class museum displays cutting-edge international contemporary art in a striking minimalist building by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Alvaro Siza Vieira.
Like the Guggenheim, there is no collection permanently on display, with temporary exhibitions taking up the entire space, as well as that of the separate "Casa de Serralves," a pink Art Deco construction located in the surrounding formal gardens (which are magnificent and worth a visit in their own right).
The eighteen hectares of grounds also contain natural farmland, and are dotted with modern sculptures (including a much-photographed gigantic shovel by Claes Oldenburg
and Coosje van Bruggen).
Major exhibitions in the past have included "Andy Warhol: A Factory," "Francis Bacon: Caged - Uncaged," and "Paula Rego."
This is a sight that should not be missed when visiting Porto, and be sure to also pass by the museum shop for some of the best of Portuguese design.
If you're in the city in late May or early June, be sure to check out the museum's annual "Serralves em Festa" festival, with 40 hours of free events related to contemporary art and culture.
Foz district
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