Património à vista - outubro

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Throughout October, the Ílhavo Maritime Museum highlights a piece from its collection: the painting "Milena", oil on canvas by Henrique Afonso (1980s), which depicts a lugger built in Florida and integrated into the Portuguese cod-fishing fleet between 1936 and 1958. In June 1940, the Milena was chartered by Belgian and Dutch Jewish families fleeing Nazi persecution. After a storm and putting in at Santander, where twelve passengers disembarked, the ship continued its voyage with the remaining passengers, who carried transit visas issued by Sousa Mendes, and arrived at Leixões on 29 June with 46 passengers on board. This episode is the core of the temporary exhibition "Visto bom para Portugal: Memória de uma Viagem", on display in the Temporary Exhibitions Room of the museum until 2 May 2027. It is a good entry point for those wishing to learn about the connection between Ílhavo's maritime history and the history of World War II refugees.

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