Summer Schedule: (April 1 to September 30) Tuesday to Sunday and holidays – 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM – closes for visits at 6:00 PM Winter Schedule: (October 1 to March 31) Tuesday to Sunday and holidays – 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM – closes for visits at 5:30 PM Closed on Mondays.
VISITS TO THE FORTRESS OF SÃO JOÃO BAPTISTA The Angra do Heroísmo Museum offers guided tours of the Fortress of São João Baptista, a large military monument located on Monte Brasil. Built during the Spanish rule of the Philippine Dynasty (1580-1640), visits are available by prior registration.
From Wednesday to Sunday (including holidays) 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM and 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM Price: €5.00
The NHMMCBL, housed in the former Boa Nova Military Hospital, hosts the Military and Armament Management Unit and the Uniform Management Unit of the Angra do Heroísmo Museum. It is the only Portuguese museum dedicated to this theme that is not integrated into the Ministry of Defense.
This collection is presented to the public through three long-term thematic exhibitions. In addition to explaining the evolution and functionality of weapons and inviting reflection on the major ethical, moral, and social issues inherent in armed conflicts, these exhibitions also document the personality and personal experiences of the patron, Manuel Coelho Baptista de Lima, as well as the history of the building itself.
Long-term exhibitions
Men, Weapons and War – From the Arrow to the Drone
The exhibition traces the evolution of weapons in connection with human history, organized into five thematic sections arranged chronologically. This layout creates the illusion of a journey through time and space, transporting visitors to battlefields and their surrounding contexts. The collection includes bladed and firearm weapons, sigillography, graphic documents and fine arts, uniforms and body armor, musical instruments, artillery pieces and support equipment, as well as transport and logistics materials.
Memory and Novelty: Manuel Coelho Baptista de Lima and the Azorean Heritage
This exhibition aims to illustrate the journey of the Azorean intellectual Baptista de Lima (1920-1996), highlighting his intention to shape an identity discourse and an Azorean memory distinct from the ethnographic regionalism of the first half of the 20th century. It also showcases his contribution to introducing new European models of heritage management and preservation in the archipelago, which played a key role in shaping regional public policy in this field.
Royal Hospital of Boa Nova
Under this title, the memories of the use of the building are gathered, which was, as far as is known, one of the oldest military hospitals in the world.
Having its origins in the field hospital brought by D. Álvaro de Bazan during the conquest of Terceira Island in 1583, the Philippine-era building developed in alignment with the Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Boa Nova and expanded during the reign of D. José I with a large new infirmary. Perspectives on illness and health—interwoven with notions of the sacred, folk remedies, and archaic treatments—are revisited through panels and artifacts displayed in the former chapel and adjoining sacristy. These exhibits recall key historical moments, such as the signing of the Spanish surrender in 1642 after an eleven-month siege led by the people and militias of Terceira, with support from other Azorean islands; the sermon of António Vieira in 1654; the legacy of Terceira’s chief chronicler, Manuel Luís Maldonado (1644-1711), author of Fenix Angrence and former hospital administrator, who is buried here; and the temporary installation of the English printing press that inaugurated the Azorean press.
