Established in 1964, Archeological Museum and Portrait Gallery is located in
Old Goa, the former capital of
Goa. Old Goa is about 9 km east of
Panaji.
The museum is maintained by the Archaeological Survey department, Government of India. A huge bronze statue of Alfonso de Albuquerque placed in the museum greets the visitors at the entrance. The statue of the famous Portuguese poet, Luis Camoes, holding a copy of 'Os Lusíadas' is also seen here.
The museum is a two storeyed building and has a rich collection of prehistoric tools such as Brahmanical sculptures, hero-stones and sati stones of the early and late medieval periods, portraits, coins and currency, revenue and court fee stamps, wooden and bronze sculptures, and armory of the Portuguese period.
Key gallery, Portrait gallery and Sculpture gallery are three parts of this archeological museum. Portrait gallery displays the paintings of the Portuguese Governors and Viceroys, who ruled Goa, and other notables like Dom Vasco da Gama, Bernardo Peres da Silva and Jose Ferreira de Pestano. Sculpture gallery houses some artifacts, lot of stone sculptures and idols.
The museum is open daily from 10:00 to 17:00 hrs, except on Fridays.
