Mafra’s sculpture museum struggles to reopen after 44 years

The Palace of Mafra has one jewel that hasn’t seen the light of day for 44 years: its ‘museum of replicas’, a stunning collection of over 100 12th and 16th century Portuguese and French sculptures. The works have been ‘sleeping behind closed doors’ since 1973. Palace director Mário Pereira says he needs patons to run a €200,000 upgrade for the old museum to be taken out of mothballs.