The initiative “Object of the Month” aims to present, in an unexpected setting, some of the pieces from the Vila do Conde Museum, sparking curiosity and encouraging visits to the museum.

Each month, different objects and documents from the museum’s collections are displayed at the Town Hall (Paços do Concelho).

For the month of May, the featured piece is a glass bead with gold leaf, originating from the Cividade de Bagunte. The object was identified in an archaeological context associated with a decorated hearth and a significant concentration of carbonised seeds, and is possibly dated to the Romanisation period.

Globular in shape, this bead was produced using the gold-in-glass technique, which consists of applying a thin sheet of gold between layers of glass, demonstrating a high level of technical skill by the artisan. Although its exact origin remains unknown, it is believed to result from commercial exchanges between the Mediterranean and the western Iberian Peninsula, representing a luxury object associated with high-status social groups.

The Cividade de Bagunte, classified as a National Monument since 1910, is a fortified settlement predating the Roman presence in the Iberian Peninsula, although it was later Romanised.