 |
 |
||
|
 |
||
|
TOYS collected for more than fifty years have recently been rehoused in Sintra's former firemen's headquarters. João Arbués Moreira started collecting toys when he was 14 years old, with gifts he received as well as those of his parents and grandparents. As he grew up the fascination of each toy, finding out more about them, where they were manufactured, and about their history increased. The Arbués Moreira Foundation was created in 1987 and at this stage there were more than 20,000 toys waiting to be exhibited. The whole collection was donated to this Foundation and two years later the Sintra Council signed an agreement and the Sintra Toy Museum was created. With the continued increase of items being purchased and donated to the Museum the location was too small for the vast collection. The Museum's new home, opened in the summer of 1998, includes exhibitions on three floors - a lift is available, a Play room, a workshop for restoring toys, a gift shop and a coffee shop. On a more recent theme an exhibition of the most famous doll in the world, Barbie, has been organised and will be running to 17th January 1999. Barbie is dressed by famous fashion designers from the international scene: from Christian Dior, Clavin Klein to Donna Karan and Givenchy. Portuguese designers were not forgotten and Barbie can be seen in clothes by José Carlos, Ana Salazar, Olga Rego, Nuno Gama and other top designers from the country. Toy soldiers, train and train sets, model ships, doll houses, sewing machines to aeroplanes, pianos, horses and carriages and cars, there is something of interest for everyone. The Toy Museum (Museu do Brinquedo) is at Rua Visconde de Monserrate near the National Palace in Sintra and is open from Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 6pm. It is closed on Monday. |
||
