The vast estate of engineer Bernardo Ferrão is accessible to all interested parties, which includes thousands of unpublished documents that the researcher has gathered for decades.
The collection includes numerous works and monographs with detailed descriptions and a rigorous inventory of decorative pieces, released by the Círculo Dr. José de Figueiredo – Friends of the Soares dos Reis National Museum.
The collection now available online also includes essential works on the history of Portuguese furniture from the Renaissance to the Portuguese expansion and correspondence with its network of international contacts who contributed to its research through documents, photographs, catalogs, magazines, and books from Mexico, Brazil, England, France, and America.
Bernardo Ferrão (1913-1982), brother of Fernando Távora, an engineer by training and profession, dedicated a large part of his life to the study of Portuguese furniture and ceramics, in particular the Portuguese-Oriental decorative arts in Portugal, an area where he became become a recognized collector and publisher.
One of the city’s most emblematic works was designed by him: the Ribeira Tunnel, a project by the engineer Bernardo Ferrão, is considered the first road tunnel built in Portugal and contributes to the opening of the historic city to develop.
In 2017, the important documentary collection of engineer Bernardo Ferrão was donated to the Dr. José de Figueiredo Circle. The collaboration between this institution, the Marques da Silva Foundation, and the U.Porto Digital Services allowed the material to be disseminated in the digital universe, making it accessible to everyone here.
