History of Lisbon, the largest city in Portugal and the capital. It is the third biggest city in the Iberian peninsula after Madrid and Barcelona. It is also one of the oldest cities in the world, the second oldest in Europe after Athens.
The museum has five branches. This one is with the history of the city, is located in the former Palácio Pimenta, an 18th century palace built by King John V of Portugal for his mistress.
Lots of exhibits and you can expect a brief tour to take at least an hour. A proper examination is closer to three hours if you walk the garden (peacocks!) and a get coffee at the small cafe out there if it's a nice day.
The city has been run by Romans, Germanic tribes, Moors and then conquered by Afonso Henriques in 1147. Artifacts on display include ceramics from the 6th century BC, gold pendants from the 2nd century AD, Roman column caps and paintings.
One small room is dedicated to the history of the massive Estátua de D. José I in Praça do Comércio and the sculptor, Joaquim Machado de Castro. I found this to be an interesting exhibit.
Nearly all the captions are in Portuguese and English. If there's an audio guide on offer, I didn't spot it.
[Review 19057 overall - 250 in Portugal - 26 of 2023.] read more