The Portuguese city of Evora is a popular travel destination. It was once a Roman stronghold and is well known for its Chapel of Bones. Located in the church that is home to the Chapel of Bones is an interesting museum which includes a variety of historic religious art and sculptures, and a special collection.
The Canha da Silva Nativity Collection consists of 2600 nativity displays originating in about 80 countries. The collection was assembled over many years by Major-General Fernando Canha da Silva and his wife Fernanda. The couple has a fondness for Christmas and the Nativity, culminating in this collection.
The Canha da Silvas collection was first displayed in Evora in 1999 and in 2015 the collection found a permanent home in the San Francisco Museum. The collection is so large that only about a quarter of it can be displayed at any time.
My wife and I enjoyed exploring the Canha da Silvas collection. It is unusual, colorful and interesting — studying the various materials used, different ethnic and national interpretations, etc. Within this blog post is a limited sampling of what we saw:
Separate from the main collection was a large Nativity scene located directly across from the entrance to the Chapel of Bones (see three photos below). It features the city of Evora as the setting for the Nativity.
