Object of the Month

We chose an object with a certain symbolic significance because it also represents the company's first phase, as a majestic enterprise. This gilded carved cartouche is contemporary with the company's founding in the 18th century. Since the company was founded by royal decree of King D. José I, several pieces from its initial phase bear the royal coat of arms, a symbol of his majestic patronage. This piece comes from the old Company House, located on Rua das Flores, in Porto, where the company's first headquarters were established until 1961.

The cartouche is on display in the third area of the exhibition route at the Museum of Oldest Appellation in the World. An area that highlights, through its narrative, assets and interactive supports, the privileges, obligations and statutes of Real Companhia Velha, which is the oldest Portuguese company with uninterrupted activity in the country. Comprising a period between its foundation in 1756 and 1834 (the year that it lost its privileges, with the arrival of liberalism in Portugal).