Virtual Insurance Museum opens physical space in Barreiro.

Virtual Insurance Museum inaugurates physical space with over 800 pieces and an interactive exhibition.

The new physical space of the Virtual Insurance Museum in Barreiro brings together a vast collection of documents and visual memories about the history of insurance in Portugal. According to what is read in the ECO Newspaper, Vítor Alegria, from CHAPAS Club, explains the importance of this initiative.

This new space is located in the so-called "city of archives", in the old facilities of CUF, later Quimigal, and houses more than 800 museum pieces. In addition, it has a library and a newspaper library with numerous publications gathered by the members of the CHAPAS Club.

The museum can be visited on Wednesdays by appointment and is preparing for the upcoming exhibition "Garagem dos Sinistros". In this event, through a realistic scenario with a car and a motorcycle destroyed in accidents, experts - from doctors to specialists - will promote interactive conversations to raise awareness among the public, both young and old, about road safety and insurance.

Located next to the Ephemera Historical Archive, led by political historian Pacheco Pereira, the museum is spearheaded by Vítor Alegria. This space also includes the Archive of the Amélia de Mello Foundation, the Industrial Museum, the Memory Space, and the Archive of the Ports of Lisbon, Setúbal, and Sesimbra, becoming part of an important cultural and documentary hub.

The idea of creating this museum arose 13 years ago, when a group of enthusiasts founded CHAPAS - Club History and Portuguese Insurance Activity Archive. Since then, Vítor Alegria has been leading the collection, organization, and preservation of documents and objects that tell the relevance of insurance throughout history.

After conquering more than 10 thousand publications on a Facebook page and launching the website of the Virtual Insurance Museum, it's time to establish a physical space dedicated to the memory of the insurance sector in Portugal.

"Insurance has always been part of people's lives throughout the country's history," emphasizes Vítor Alegria, recalling that the first Portuguese insurance contract was signed by King D. Dinis in 1294, protecting pioneering navigators on their commercial expeditions beyond borders.

The CHAPAS Club continues to encourage donations of documents, images, and historical objects related to insurance, ensuring that all this heritage will be preserved and treated with respect.

To schedule a visit or obtain more information, check out the Club CHAPAS Facebook page, the club's website, or the Virtual Insurance Museum website.

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