The heritage entrusted to the Foundation, which is the property of the founding institutions (CTT – Correios de Portugal, PT – Portugal Telecom and ICP – ANACOM), comprises artifacts that witness the evolution of the equipment, techniques and systems used in communications sector.

The origins of the museum’s collection date back to 1878, when the Ministry for Public Works, Trade and Industry issued instructions to the Directorate General of the Postal Services to create a postal museum.

Today, the museum’s heritage includes a valuable collection of artefacts ranging from the 16th century to the present day, including an important collection of stamps from Portugal and almost all the member countries of the Universal Postal Union (UPU).

The museum’s heritage is grouped into large collections to favor its organization and provide the best conditions for handling, archiving and research.

This heritage is divided into four collections: postal, telecommunications, philately, and art.

POSTAL COLLECTIONS, INCLUDING items and equipment that document the evolution of the systems and techniques used by the Post Office in Portugal.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS COLLECTIONS, INCLUDING collections featuring artefacts and equipment that document the evolution of the systems and techniques used in telecommunications in Portugal.

PHILATELY COLLECTIONS, including collections featuring philatelic artefacts dating from the 16th century to the present day and document the history of philately in Portugal.

ART COLLECTIONS, including a collection of art displaying some of the most important figures in the Portuguese visual arts.

The Portuguese Communications Foundation has a digital catalog http://bh1.fpc.pt/Nyron/Museum/Catalog/  that provides information about various heritage assets. This research tool is only available in Portuguese.