Sommer House

If you are researching Cascais, this is the place to come. Here is not only the Municipal Historic Archive but also the Cascais Municipal Library, which keeps copies of all books published or supported by the town council. The house was built in the late 19th century by Henrique Sommer and then inherited by his children. It has three floors, which recently underwent a full renovation. The new building was inaugurated in late 2016. From top to bottom, here is what you will find: the top floor holds part of the archive, where you can learn about the 650-year history of the town; there’s an area for reading, in which sits the old work desk of Branquinho da Fonseca (1905-1974), widely considered the father of Portugal’s mobile libraries. In the middle floor you will currently find a temporary exhibition named “Associations with History 1886-1974”, about 56 local organizations; and on the ground floor is the town library.