The adventure of being a Portuguese #Lisbon 2

Portugal may be one of the smallest countries in the world, but it has had one of the greatest impacts on human development and history. Its inhabitants were fearless explorers, who first went to the unknown, while the rest of Europe lacked that courage.

All of this would be pretty daring to say so, but thanks to the many artifacts, documents and historical heritage that have been preserved to this day in the 62 museums of Lisbon, it is quite possible to trace the entire existence of the country in the various  periods and areas.

At this post we will look at the most attractive and famous museums in the city, containing unique finds that can not be found anywhere in the world. If futher interested, you can find the full list of all the museums in Lisbon here.

Museu Nacional do Azulejo

The Azuleu National Museum is one of the most important museums in the country because of its unique collection of azulejo that distinguishe Portuguese culture. Azuleju is a glossy ceramic tile that is painted in rich colors with symbolism. Tiles are not only decorative, but also practical, as they protect against moisture. They are present on innumerable buildings throughout Portugal, most of which can be seen in the palaces, churches and facades of residential buildings.

The history of this craft dates back to the 13th century when the Moors invaded the Iberian Peninsula. The word azulej comes from the Arabic language and means “small polished stone”. Over time, the Portuguese have inherited this art by adding more colours to the tiles and thus becoming an indispensable marker of their culture.

As for the museum, it is housed in the former Church of the Mother of God, which hosts some of the most magnificent tiles in all of Portugal, one of the few that survived after the devastating earthquake in 1755. Nowadays, in the museum you can learn the techniques of making azulejo, as well as to see the rich collection of over 1000 different tiles. But the jewel of the whole museum is a 23-meter-long panel, which gives a panoramic view over the whole of Lisbon.

Useful information:

Work time:
Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00

Prices:
Normal ticket: 5 €
Visitors over 65: 2.50 €
Student card or ISIC card (International Student Identity Card): 2.50 €
Family ticket – (more than 4 persons): 50%

Transportation:
Buses that stop in front of the museum: 718, 742, 794,
Avenida Infante D.Henrique (5 meters from the museum): 728, 759

Museu Nacional de Arqueologia

The National Archaeological Museum is located in the west wing of the Jeronimos Monastery in the Belem District. In the past, the museum building was a dormitory for monks.

At the entrance of the museum are two granite statues of Lusitanian warriors dating from the 1st century and brought from northern Portugal. The permanent exhibitions are thematically divided into Ancient Egypt, where they have mummies and other interesting artifacts such as crocodile skins and fiber sandals.

The museum also has extensive collections of Portuguese archeology’s treasures, mainly consisting of metal objects dating from the Bronze and Iron Ages.

You can find here significant Portuguese artifacts from Roman mosaics, mainly from southern Portugal, as well as from Extremadura in the central part of the country. I recommend you to pay attention to the impressive statue of Apollo dating from the 2nd century and the granite figures of boar.

Useful information:

Work time:
Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00

Prices:
Normal ticket: 5 €
Visitors over 65: 2.50 €
Student card or ISIC card (International Student Identity Card): 2.50 €
Family ticket – (more than 4 persons): 50%

Transportation:
Buses: 714, 727, 728, 751,729
Train: Cascais Line – Belem Station

Museu Coleção Berardo

The Berardo Museum has some of the most significant art exhibitions belonging to the movement of art from the twentieth century to the present day, establishing its position as the main museum for modern and contemporary art in Portugal.

Among the rich collection are names of artists such as Pablo Picasso, Marcel Duchamp, Piet Mondrian, Joan Miro, Francis Bacon, Andy Warhol, Donald Judd, Bruce Nauman or Cindy Sherman, among many others. Their works are arranged in chronological order that allows visitors to experience a “time travel”.

It is possible to find this museum, both in the permanent presentation of the Berardot Collection and in the vast array of temporary exhibitions, works by artists from different cultural backgrounds and contexts that, through multiple expressions, make up the history of 21st century art.

Useful information:

Work time
Open daily: Monday to Sunday
10: 00-19: 00 (last reception: 18:30)

Price:
Normal ticket: 5 €
Visitors over 65: 2.50 €
Student card or ISIC card (International Student Identity Card): 2.50 €

Transportation:
Bus: 729 (Nearest station: Belem Cultural Center)
714, 727, 728, 751 (Nearest station: Belem / Monastery of Jerome)
Tram: 15E (Nearest station: Belem Cultural Center)
Train: Cascais Line – Belem Station

Museu de Marinha

The Marine Museum is dedicated to all aspects of the history of shipping in Portugal. It is operated by the Portuguese fleet and is located in the tourist district of Belem. It occupies part of the west wing of the Jeronimush Monastery.

The history of the museum is related to King Louis I (1838-1889), who was interested in oceanographic studies and also he studies navigation. In 1863, he began collecting objects related to the preservation of Portugal’s maritime history, the collection expanded over the following decades, opening in 1963.

The exhibits include historical paintings, archeological objects and many large-scale models of ships used in 15th-century Portugal. The collection ranges from navigation instruments and maps, royal barges, as well as the Fairey III “Santa Cruz” that crossed the Atlantic in 1923, and the first aircraft of the Portuguese fleet.

Useful information:
Every day from 10:00 to 18:00 (summer time – 1 May to 30 Sep) Last entrance at 17:30 
Every day from 10:00 to 17:00 (winter time – 1 Oct to 30 Apr) Last entrance at 16:30

Price:
Normal ticket: 5 €
Visitors over 65: 2.50 €
Student card or ISIC card (International Student Identity Card): 2.50 €

Transportation:
Buses: 714, 727, 728, 751,729
Train: Cascais Line – Belem Station

Museu de Arte Popular

The Museum of Folk Art presents a significant set of mural compositions characterizing the different regions of the country, authentic essays of modernist paintings that depict people as much in their daily work as in festivals and worship with a popular root.

Of the generic and historical importance of the architectural ensemble is the significance of the collection, collected since 1935, during the Universal Exhibitions and during the various initiatives promoted by Estado Novo in the 1930s.

Useful information:

Work time:
Wednesday-Friday: 10:00 – 18:00
Saturday – Sunday: 10:00 – 13:00; 14:00 – 18:00

Price:
Normal ticket: 2.50 €

Transportation:
Buses: 714, 727, 728, 751,729
Train: Cascais Line – Belem Station

Museu Nacional dos Coches

The Chariot Museum is one of the most interesting and impressive museums in Lisbon. It has one of the best collections of historic carts in the world and is one of the most visited museums in the city.

The museum was created in 1905 by Queen Amelia to hold an extensive collection of carts belonging to the Portuguese royal family and nobility. The collection gives a complete picture of the development of this type of transport from the end of the 16th to the 19th century, with trolleys made in Italy, Portugal, France, Spain, Austria and England.

Among its rarest elements is a late 16th – early 17th century traveling wagon used by King Philip II of Portugal (Spanish Philip III) to come from Spain to Portugal in 1619. There are also several pompous Baroque carts from the 18th century, decorated with paintings and magnificent gilded wooden windows, the most impressive of which are the ceremonial trainer given by Pope Clement XI to King John V in 1715 and the three coaches by the Portuguese ambassador to Pope Clement XI, built in Rome in 1716.

Useful information:

Work time:
Tuesday – Sunday: 10:00 – 18:00

Price:
Normal ticket: 8 €
Visitors over 65: 4 €
Student card or ISIC card (International Student Identity Card): 4 €
Family ticket – (more than 4 persons): 50%

Transportation:
Buses: 28, 714, 727, 729, 751
Train: Cascais Line – Belem Station

Museu do Oriente

Perhaps one of the most interesting museums for me was the Orient Museum, which is entirely dedicated to Asian art. It is relatively new, opened in May 2008 and is housed in a former industrial building.

The museum contains an extensive collection of objects from different parts of Asia, including Turkey, Japan, China and India. Its exhibitions show the connection between distant cultures, following the Portuguese tradition of exploring new countries.

Useful information:

Work time:
Tuesday – Sunday: 10:00 – 18:00

Price:
Normal ticket: 6,00 €
Seniors: 3.50 €
Students: 2.50 €
Family (two adults with three children under 18 years): 14,00 €
Friday 18:00 to 22.00: Free admission

Transportation:
Buses: 706, 12, 713, 714, 720, 727, 28, 738, 742, 49, 751, 56, 60
Train: Cascais Line – Alcantara Station

Museu Nacional de Arte Antigua

The Museum of Ancient Art dates back to 1884 and has been housed in the Palácio Alvor for almost 130 years. It is home to the most important Portuguese public collection, ranging from paintings to sculpture and gold and silverware, as well as decorative arts from Europe, Africa and the Far East.

Consisting of over 40,000 items, the MNAA collection has the largest number of paintings, sculptures and decorative arts classified by the state as “national treasures“. The various sections also include a number of major works of art in the context of World Heritage.

The historical legacy stems from the inclusion of both the church property of the country and the contents of its royal palaces. The museum’s collection has been refined over the years through generous donations and important purchases, illustrating some of the finest works of art.

Useful information:

Work time:
Tuesday – Sunday: 10:00 – 18:00

Price:
Normal ticket: 6,00 €
Seniors: 3.50 €
Students: 2.50 €

Transportation:
Buses: 713, 714, 727, 728, 732, 760

Museu da Marioneta

I was surprised to find out that there is a Puppet Museum in Lisbon, and this undoubtedly sparked my curiosity to visit it at the earliest opportunity. The museum was founded in 1987 by the Companhia de Marionetas de S. Lourenço, a traveling theater company that performs both in Portugal and abroad.

Visitors can find here the history of puppetry. The dolls in his collection come from all over the world and not only show the evolution of this craft but also showcase various theatrical forms and approaches. Particular emphasis is placed on local puppetry. The museum often organizes various puppet shows and performances.

Useful information:

Work time:
Tuesday – Sunday: 10:00 – 18:00

Price:
Normal ticket: 5.00 €
Students: 2.50 €

Transportation:
Buses: 706, 713, 714, 727
Train: Cascais Line – Samtush Station

MAAT / Tejo Power Station

Perhaps my favorite museum in Lisbon is the MAAT (Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology), which is owned by EDP (Portuguese Energy Technology Company). It is divided into two parts: one part being the former authentic electrical station and the other being a newly built building that represents one of Lisbon’s new cultural centers.

The museum contains a rich artistic collection of the foundation, which emerged in 2000 to showcase several generations of contemporary Portuguese artists, as well as various fields and disciplines of artistic creativity.

The chronological reference, established as the starting point of the collection, is the 1960s, which marks a period of artistic excitement and which is also symbolic for the predecessor of the EDP group, the Companhia Portuguesa de Electricidade, founded at the time.

The selection of works gives priority to works by artists whose importance makes them significant on the national and international scene of contemporary art. The collection includes more than 250 Portuguese artists, recognized for both their historical profile and their importance in the mid-career consolidation processes, as well as a significant range of emerging values ​​that are upholding and internationalizing.

Useful information:

Work time:
Tuesday – Sunday: 10:00 – 18:00

Price:
Normal ticket: 9,00 €
Students: 4,50 €

Transportation:
Buses: 728, 714, 727, 729, 751
Train: Cascais Line – Belem Station

Museu do Chiado

The National Museum of Contemporary Art – Chiado Museum is one of the most interesting art museums in Lisbon, dedicated to the period between 1850 and 1950, with works by important Portuguese artists of that period, as well as by some foreign, international artists.

It is housed in parts of the old convent of San Francisco (St Francis) in the capital, a medieval building. The museum owns and exhibits the largest collection of Portuguese paintings and sculptures from the periods of Romanticism, Naturalism and Modernity.

Useful information:

Work time:
Tuesday – Sunday: 10:00 – 18:00

Price:
Normal ticket: 4,50 €
Students: 2.25 €
Seniors: 2.25 €

Transportation:
Buses: 60, 208, 758
Metro: Baixa-Chiado Station

Museum Aljube Resistência e Liberdade

The Aljube Museum of Resistance and Freedom is a historical museum dedicated to the history and memory of the fight against dictatorship and the recognition of resistance in favor of freedom and democracy. As I said in a previous post, information about the ruthless savagery that was raging in Portugal was scarce and often did not go beyond the borders of the country. Therefore, this museum provides very well-selected information and enables every visitor to get acquainted with this period of Portuguese history.

The museum illustrates the general characteristics of the Portuguese dictatorial regime (1926-1974), its means of oppression against the population, the opposition’s response, semi-legal and illegal, as well as aspects of the anti-colonial struggle that led the military to overthrow the regime through a military coup in 1974.

Useful information:

Work time:
Tuesday – Sunday: 10:00 – 18:00

Price:
Normal ticket: 3 €
Students: 1.50 €
Seniors: 1.50 €

Transportation:
Buses: 737
Metro: Baixa-Chiado Station or Terreiro do Paço Station

Museu Calouste Gulbenkian

The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum is one of the most specific museums. It was a personal collection of the Armenian businessman Calust Gulbenkian, who was a connoisseur of art. Banished by his own country, he decided to transfer his wealth to Portugal. That way, nowadays his properties are turned into museums and he even has a scholarship through his foundation, which was born out of his wealth and love of art and science.

The permanent exhibition that we can see in the museum today reflects the multifaceted artistic interest of the founder Calost Gulbenkian and includes a wide range of art objects from all eras. The exhibition is organized chronologically and geographically and begins with Egyptian, Greek and Roman exhibits and continues with Islamic, Armenian and Far Eastern art. It also includes European paintings and sculptures from the 15th century, with special emphasis on Guardi and Lalique. Highlights include works by Rembrandt (Portrait of an Old Man), Monet (Still Life with Melon) and Manet (Soap Bubbles).

Useful information:

Work time:
Tuesday – Sunday: 10:00 – 18:00

Price:
Normal ticket: 10 €
Students: 5 €
Seniors: 5 €

Transportation:
Buses: 716, 726, 756 (Av. De Berna), 746 (Av. António Augusto de Aguiar) and 713, 742 (Rua Marquês da Fronteira).
Metro: São Sebastião Station (red and blue line) and Praça de Espanha (blue line).