Museums in Portugal are excellent reasons to plan a vacation with the ones we love the most, especially in Portugal. In our country, art has always been part of our language and History. The following article is comprised of a unique selection of some of the most prestigious museums in Portugal which you ought to visit, whether you go with family or friends, you cannot miss this opportunity to get to know the country’s culture through a unique and timeless perspective.
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Museums in Portugal: Calouste Gulbenkian Museum

The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum is located in the renowned institution of the same name, in Lisbon, and opened its doors back in 1969. Alberto Pessoa, Pedro Cid e Ruy de Athouguia were the authors of this project. The museum is comprised of a collection with approximately six thousand pieces of ancient and modern art. It presents two independent circuits, one dedicated to Oriental and Classic Art and another exclusive of European art.
Museums in Portugal: Soares dos Reis National Museum

Nestled in Palácio das Carrancas, the Soares dos Reis National Museum is located in Oporto and is a museum exclusively dedicated to the beaux arts and decorative arts of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century, as well as archaeology. As a whole, the museum possesses more than 13.000 pieces, including 3.000 of drawing and painting. This museum full of history and culture is considered the oldest museum in Portugal.
Prestigious Museums: Vista Alegre Museum

The Vista Alegre Museum was created with the mission of preserving the industrial heritage of the renowned brand of ceramics and porcelain. In the museum, visitors get to discover the type of influence that the brand has had in the market since the 19th century and they also have access to a repertoire of Vista Alegre’s aesthetic evolution, comprised of over 30,000 pieces. This makes it one of the more complete museological collections of this genre.
Prestigious Museums: Serralves Foundation

Serralves Foundation opened its doors in 1989 and now is regarded as one of the most successful cultural institutions in the country, possessing a rich historical and cultural heritage. It is located in the city of Porto and highlights a wide variety of sectors, from contemporary art to architecture, landscape design as well as other themes of public interest. The Serralves Museum was designed by the legendary Portuguese architect, Álvaro Siza Vieira.
Museums in Portugal: National Azulejo Museum

The National Azulejo Museum was established with the mission of preserving, studying and promoting two of the most traditional and complementary art forms in the country, azulejo and ceramics. This exceptional worldwide reference also puts a lot of effort into sustaining both the church and other spaces of the ancient Mosteiro da Madre de Deus. One of its main activities is the ceramic lining.
Prestigious Museums: Bordalo Pinheiro Museum

The Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro Museum is exclusively dedicated to the life and work of one of the greatest artists of the 19th century, Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro. His impressive collections of painting, caricatures and ceramics are exhibited in the museum. One of the biggest attractions of the illustrative institution is the famed popular cartoon, Zé Povinho.
Museums in Portugal: Megalithic Museum

The Megalithic Museum was created in 2016 as a way to promote and value the megalithic heritage of Mora, in the district of Évora, affirming the historic-cultural memories of its people. The Museum highlights four buildings, including the Estação de Mora, all of which are interconnected by an outdoor metallic gallery. The building was conceived through the brilliant collaboration of CVDB Arquitectos, Tiago Filipe Santos and P-06 Atelier. The Museum exhibits numerous presentations of archaeology in 3D, among other interactive media.
Prestigious Museums: National Museum of Ancient Arts

Located in a palace that traces back to the end of the 17th century, in Lisboa, one of the best museums in Portugal is the National Museum of Ancient Arts that opened in 1884 and is one of the most important museums specialised in arts from the 12th to 19th centuries in Portugal. Inside, one can find the most relevant public collection of ancient art. From painting to sculpture as well as collections of Asian, African and European arts, the National Museum features over 40.000 works of art.
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