Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga

The National Museum of Old Art in Lisbon is a big and lovely museum to visit if you are interested in European art as well as arts and crafts from Asia and Africa. Other than paintings from Portugal and other countries in Europe, it contains furniture, sacral art, tapestries, jewellery and porcelain/ceramics. A visit here will definitely give you a decent perspective in how the older palaces and convents in Portugal might have been decorated. They have temporary exhibitions as well, at the moment of my visit they had one with Joaquín Sorollas stunning paintings and one painting which is on loan from the Hermitage in St Petersburg, namely Mary Madeleine the Penitent by Tizian.

The Museum first opened in 1884 in the old Alvor Palace. It is one of the first museums to open in Portugal. Through time it has acquired more works of art through buying, donations and temporary loans. Many paintings and objects have been saved through thorough restorations by the museum staff.

The Palace of Alvor was built in the 17th century by the 1st Count of Alvor, a man called D. Francisco de Távora. He had just arrived back in Lisbon from India, where he had been stationed as the Viceroy of India. By the year of 1744, the Palace had been aquired by a man named Matias Aires Ramos da Silva de Eça (do bear with the long Portuguese names, most of us want to show our ancestors both on our mother's and father's side since family is important to us), he was the Provider of Coin back then. After his demise the Palace of Alvor fell into the hands of Paulo de Carvalho, the brother of the Marquis of Pombal, the most powerful family of their time, and remained in their possession until it was bought by the State in 1883 and turned into a museum (the National Museum of Fine Arts).

The building is very representative of a typical Portuguese baroque palace. Some of the paintings on the ceiling can be attributed to the Florentine painter Vincenzo Bacherelli. Most of the stucco details can be attributed to another Italian, Giovanni Grossi. During later times some additions have been made to the museum in order to house temporary exhibitions, auditorium and library among other things. There is also a part called "The Annex" which is housed in an building which was used earlier as a carmelite convent for nuns dedicated to St. Albert.

Many of the religious artworks were collected when the monasteries and religious orders were shut down in 1834. In 1911 the contemporary art was separated from the older art and a new museum was opened in the Chiado area of Lisbon to house contemporary art collections and exhibitions. Since then this Museum has been called the National Museum of Old Art. Many of the foreign objects arrived from the colonies as diplomatic gifts to the Portuguese state or as personal belongings to Portuguese dignitaries which were later donated to the museum. The Museum also houses a cafeteria where lighter lunches, snacks and sweets can be bought.

Opening times are:
Tuesday - Sunday 10.00 am - 18.00 pm
Closed on Mondays

Normal ticket - 6 Euro
Senior/Student - 3 Euro
Children up to 12 years - Free