Virtual Insurance Museum opens physical space in Barreiro.

Virtual Insurance Museum opens 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 documentary collection and visual memories about the history of insurance in Portugal. According to what is read in the ECO Newspaper, it is Vítor Alegria, from Clube CHAPAS, who explains the importance of this initiative.

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

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 adults, about road safety and insurance.

Located next to the Ephemera Historical Archive, led by political historian Pacheco Pereira, the museum has Vítor Alegria as its main driving force. 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 emerged 13 years ago, when a group of enthusiasts founded the CHAPAS - Portuguese Insurance Activity History and Collection Club. Since then, Vítor Alegria has led the collection, organization, and preservation of documents and objects that tell the importance of insurance throughout history.

After conquering more than 10 thousand publications on a Facebook page and launching the website of the Virtual Insurance Museum, the time has come 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," says Vítor Alegria, pointing out 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, please check the Facebook page of CHAPAS Club, the club's website or the website of Virtual Insurance Museum.

Follow us for more information like this related to credits, insurance, and savings, through social networks and the weekly newsletter from Poupança no Minuto: Savings in a Minute