Mill Museum in Penacova with room dedicated to Napoleonic itineraries

A new space dedicated to the “Napoleonic Itineraries” is now available at the Museu do Moinho Vitorino Nemésio, in Portela de Oliveira.

This is a project, resulting from the “Thematic Network of French Invasions in Portugal” application, which was led by the Intermunicipal Community of the Coimbra Region and co-financed by the support line for the Tourism Enhancement of the Interior. The “Napoleonic Itineraries” project, inspired by the history of the French invasions, includes the municipalities of Almeida, Bombarral, Elvas, Lourinhã, Mealhada, Mortágua, Penacova and Elvas and the Association for Tourist and Patrimonial Development of the Lines of Torres Vedras.

The Moinho museum, located in the windmills of Portela de Oliveira, in the municipality of Penacova, now has a room where visitors can take a trip to the past and, through virtual and augmented reality, witness some of the events most notable aspects of the Battle of Bussaco, namely the crossing of the Mondego River by Anglo-Portuguese troops.

“We chose the Moinho museum because of the proximity of Portela de Oliveira to some of the historical sites of the battle of Buçaco, namely the Wellington command post, where General Arthur Wellesley watched the troop movements and the small town of Santo António do Cântaro where part of the French army was stationed”, stated the mayor of Penacova, Álvaro Coimbra.

For the mayor, heritage, in terms of military tourism, is one of the focuses of the new brand “Mondego-Bussaco”, developed by the municipalities of Penacova, Mortágua and Mealhada. “There are many affinities that unite us and this is another one. In the three municipalities there are marks from the battle of Buçaco that we want to value in the near future. In September, a major historical recreation is planned that will coincide with the Batalha commemorations”, he concluded.