LISBON MUSEUM

Since 1979 the main building of the Museum of Lisbon is located at the Palácio Pimenta in the Campo Grande district of Lisbon. The palace was constructed by Dom João V in 1734 for his mistress Paula Teresa da Silva e Almeida, a nun from the Monastery of São Dinis in Odivelas. The exhibits depict the long history of Lisbon organised in chronological order. Starting from prehistoric origins, through the Romans, the Visigoths, the Moors, the Christian conquest, the Age of Discovery, and the Great Earthquake of 1755 to the present day.

The displays include archaeological finds, sculptures, maps and prints, plus a detailed scale model of Lisbon, showing what the city looked like before the earthquake. The ornate rooms are full of azulejo tiles, ceramics, engravings, ornate fireplaces, furniture and original paintings. Also there is a room dedicated to the Águas Livres Aqueduct with details of the architectural plans for its construction. Have a look out for the piano that belonged to Alfredo Keil, composer of the Portuguese national anthem.

One of the rooms also displays a remarkable collection of tile art, and you can also admire the Palace’s original tile panels that decorate a grand staircase and the walls of five rooms. A fine example of azulejo tile art ccan be found in the original kitchen. Here there is an 18th-century panel showing a black woman cleaning fish on a table. It is a rare depiction of a non-European for the time and for the use of a colour other than blue and white goes against the fashion of the Baroque period. There's also an interesting array of well worn cookware, pots and pans. The kitchen also gives access to the Palace’s 18th-century chapel.

There is also a delightful courtyard with a a kiosk café, fountains, and peacocks pecking at dropped crumbs. The estate also features a garden with three distinct areas: the formal walled garden, the woods and two former agricultural areas. After the adaptation of the Palace into a museum, the gardens were embellished with statues and other pieces of art. Since 2010 the gardens are host to a project by artist Joana Vasconcelos with ceramics designed by Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro. Accessed from the gardens there is a temporary exhibition area (Pavilhão Preto).

Tuesday – Sunday: 10h00 - 18h00, Monday: CLOSED (last admission at 17h30)

Adult: €3.00, Concessionary: €1,50, Lisbon Card: FREE

Getting to the Pimenta Palace

701, 717, 731, 735, 736, 738, 747, 750, 755, 767, 778, 783, 796, 798
Campo Grande (Yellow & Green lines)

Contact Details
245 Campo Grande, 1700-091 Lisbon, Portugal.
38° 45' 29.9" N | 09° 09' 22.2" W | +351 217 513 200
info@museudelisboa.pt |  Website

Located close to Lisbon's cathedral and next to the church of Saint Anthony (São António) is a museum dedicated to Saint Anthony and his relationship with Lisbon, where he was born and lived until he was 20 years old. The current manifestation of the Museum of Lisbon - Saint Anthony opened in 2014 after an enlargement programme. The exhibition presents the history of the saint and his elevation over the centuries to one of the most popular saints in the world. The museum also examines lesser-known aspects of the cult devoted to the saint, such as his posthumous military honours, Afro-Brazilian cults associated with the saint and the varied forms this cult takes in Portugal and other countries evangelised by Portuguese priests.

Known to be a miracle worker, Saint Anthony is the patron saint of matchmaking and of lost objects, among various other patronages. The permanent exhibition also looks into the multiple occasions the saint features on the calendar of popular festivities, including processions, weddings, festivals and marches. The neighbouring Church of Saint Anthony is built upon what is commonly regarded as his birthplace.

Tuesday – Sunday: 10h00 - 18h00, Monday: CLOSED (last admission at 17h30)

Adult: €3.00, Concessionary: €1,50, Lisbon Card: FREE

Getting to the Museum of Saint Anthony

714, 732, 736, 737, 760 | 12E, 15E

Contact Details
22 Largo de Santo António da Sé, 1100-499 Lisbon, Portugal.
38° 42' 36.4" N | 09° 08' 02.5" W | +351 217 513 200
santoantonio@museudelisboa.pt |  Website

The site remains only partially excavated. Most of the stone was pillaged during the middle ages. With a little imagination, one can envision how the amphitheatre would have looked. It has a dedicated museum across the street, the Museu do Teatro Romano, which contains columns, inscriptions, statues, including a sculpture of Silenus and an inscription dedicating the theatre to Nero. Everything is explained by the use of multimedia information points and multilingual video touch screens. Located behind the cathedral, on the road leading up to the Miradouro Santa Luzia, it's well worth visiting the Museu do Teatro Romano and archaeological site if passing. Entrance is free and the visit delivers insight into Lisbon's ancient past. [ More About ► ]

Tuesday to Sunday: 10h00 - 13h00/14h00 - 18h00. Monday: CLOSED | Entrance: FREE

Getting to the Roman Theatre Museum

714 732 736 737 760 | 12E, 28E

Contact Details
3A Rua de São Mamede, 1100-532, Lisbon, Portugal. | 38° 42' 37.3"N | 09° 07' 57.1"W
+351 215 818 530 | info@museudelisboa.pt |  Website

Inaugurated in 2014, the Museum of Lisbon - Casa dos Bicos features ​​​​​​a perminant display which includes a visit to archaeological ruins. The Casa dos Bicos was restored in 1981 as part of a project designed by architects Manuel Vicente (1934-2013) and Daniel Santa-Rita (1929-2001), reviving the entire building to its original design. It served as the headquarters of the National Commission for the Commemoration of the Portuguese Discoveries between 1987 and 2002. In 2008, Lisbon City Hall granted the upper floors to the newly established José Saramago Foundation, reserving the ground floor for a new archaeological centre, that exhibits the findings of an archaeological dig carried out in 2010.

Some of the remnants on display are parts of Late Roman walls and cetariae – elements of a Roman preserved and salted fish production factory, whose products were mostly exported. A fragment of a Roman wall and semi-circular watch tower can also be found here, remnants dating from the 3rd Century and were part of the defences of the Romana city of Olisipo. [ More About ► ]
Monday to Saturday: 10h00 - 13h00/14h00 - 18h00. Sunday: CLOSED | Entrance: FREE

Getting to the Casa dos Bicos

714 732 736 737 760 | 12E, 28E

Contact Details
10 Rua dos Bacalhoeiros, 1100-135, Lisbon, Portugal. | 38° 42' 32.6"N | 09° 07' 57.6"W
+351 218 802 040 | info.pt@josesaramago.org |  Website

The Museum of Lisbon – West Tower has been used as a space for temporary exhibitions since 2014 related to the history of Lisbon. The West Tower (Torreão Poente) is one of a pair and forms part of the Praça do Comércio. The towers were constructed following the 1755 earthquake and resemble similar structures that previously stood nearby as part of a former royal palace. Prior to 2011, the west tower was occupied by the military, it has been hosting temporary exhibitions ever since. Restoration work and adaptations to transform the building into a permanent museum space began in 2020, with the aim of making this extraordinary site accessible to everyone, enhancing its qualities as an exhibition space and venue to impart more stories about Lisbon, it's past, its present and its future.

CLOSED FOR RESTORATION

Getting to the West Tower Museum

711 714 728 732 735 736 759 760 781 782 | 12E, 25E

Contact Details
1 Praça do Comércio,1100-148 Lisboa Lisbon, Portugal. | 38° 42' 24.7" N | 09° 08' 13.3" W
+351 215 818 530 | info@museudelisboa.pt |  Website