Music’s role in religious art

‘Musical Iconography in the Churches and Chapels of Funchal’ goes on tour

From October 22, 2025 in Évora until June 19, 2026 in Lisbon

20/10/2025 (Updated 20/11/2025)

Touring Exhibition

22/10/2025 – 19/06/2026

Various times, depending on location

Évora, Castelo Branco, Braga, Torres Novas, Lisbon

Venues and addresses below

Organisation

CESEM

In partnership with

Conservatory – School of Arts of Madeira, Regional Directorate for Culture of Madeira, University of Évora, ESART-IPCB, University of Minho, Torres Novas Municipality, Monastery of São Vicente de Fora/ Patriarcado de Lisboa

The exhibition ‘A Iconografia Musical nas Igrejas e Capelas do Funchal’ (‘Musical Iconography in the Churches and Chapels of Funchal’) goes on tour on 22 October in Évora. With scientific coordination by Luzia Aurora Rocha (CESEM – NOVA FCSH / IN2PAST) and Rita Rodrigues (Regional Directorate for Culture of Madeira), and organised by Paulo Esteireiro (CESEM – NOVA FCSH / IN2PAST and Conservatory – School of Arts of Madeira) and Rita Rodrigues, the exhibition brings together images of musical instruments, musicians and scenes in which music plays a role in religious art.

After Évora, the exhibition goes to Castelo Branco, still in 2025, and then Braga, Torres Novas and Lisboa, until June 2026, on a tour supported by IN2PAST. It originally opened on 27 March in Funchal, Madeira, where it stayed until 30 June, at the Captain’s Tower (Santo Amaro Historical and Museum Centre).

In Évora, ‘A Iconografia Musical nas Igrejas e Capelas do Funchal’ opens on 22 October, at 11:30 am, in the Siza Atrium, Colégio dos Leões, at the University of Évora’s School of Arts, closing on 11 November, with a presentation by Luís Correia de Sousa (CESEM – NOVA FCSH / IN2PAST) titled ‘Ave Regina caelorum: The musical dimension of the Flemish altarpiece of Évora Cathedral’, at 2 pm, followed by a musical moment by the Stretto Flute Trio (Beatriz Sousa, Daniela Galguinho and Diogo Valverde), at 3 pm. The exhibit can be visited from Monday to Friday, between 9 am and 6 pm.

The touring exhibition then travels to Castelo Branco, from 25 November until 2 January, 2026, Braga (9 January – February 6, at the University of Minho), Torres Novas (14 February – 20 March, at the Gustavo Pinto Lopes Municipal Library) and Lisbon (28 March – 19 June, at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora).

On November 25th, the opening at ESART (School of Applied Arts, Castelo Branco Polytechnic Institute) is at 5 pm, with a presentation by Luzia Aurora Rocha on the ‘intelligence’ of artificial intelligence in Art and Musical Iconography and comments by Luísa Castilho (CESEM – ESART-IPCB / IN2PAST), followed by a musical moment.

Programme

Évora

22 October – 11 November, 2025
Átrio Siza, Colégio dos Leões, Escola das Artes da Universidade de Évora
R. Dr. Emídio Guerreiro 35, Évora

Castelo Branco
25 November, 2025 – 2 January, 2026
Escola Superior de Artes Aplicadas, IPCB
Campus da Talagueira, Avenida do Empresário, 6000-767 Castelo Branco

Braga
9 January – February 6, 2026
University of Minho
TBA

Torres Novas
14 February – 20 March, 2026
Biblioteca Municipal Gustavo Pinto Lopes
Rua da Fontinha n.º 2, 2350-444 Torres Novas

Lisboa
28 March – 19 June, 2026
Mosteiro de São Vicente de Fora
Largo de São Vicente, 1100-472 Lisboa