Medeiros e Almeida House-Museum

Medeiros e Almeida House-Museum (Casa-Museu Medeiros e Almeida) is one of Portugal's most important private collections of decorative arts. It occupies the former home of its collector at Rua Rosa Araújo 41, just off Avenida da Liberdade in central Lisbon.

Who was António de Medeiros e Almeida?

António de Medeiros e Almeida (1895–1986) was a businessman, collector and benefactor. In 1943 he bought the house near Avenida da Liberdade and began furnishing it, buying pieces at auction houses across Europe. The works were first meant to decorate the home and serve his social life, but after the Second World War many unique objects reached the market and the collection grew rapidly. In 1972 he created a foundation with the aim of giving the country a house-museum. It opened to the public in 2001.

What can you see inside?

The museum has twenty-seven rooms and roughly two thousand works of art. Holdings include furniture, paintings, sculpture, textiles, jewellery, ceramics, fans and sacred art. It feels like the passion of one person rather than an encyclopedic survey, so a visit is closer to stepping into a patron's private salons.

How is the museum laid out?

The building has two distinct parts:

• The residential area – a late nineteenth-century manor, kept as it was during the collector's lifetime.
• The new wing – built on the site of the former garden and designed as a museum. Its interiors evoke eighteenth-century French style.

This lets you compare the everyday setting of a wealthy Lisboner with a display inspired by aristocratic salons of the past.

Who is it for?

It suits lovers of decorative arts, antiques and the history of collecting. It is also a calmer alternative to Lisbon's biggest museums, and its position on Avenida da Liberdade makes it easy to combine with a walk through the centre.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the museum? At Rua Rosa Araújo 41, by Avenida da Liberdade in Lisbon.

How many rooms and works does it have? About twenty-seven rooms and around two thousand works of art.

When did it open to the public? In 2001, although the foundation was created in 1972.

Is it housed in a purpose-built museum only? No. Part of the collection is shown in the collector's former home, and part in a new wing built where the garden used to be.

How long should I allow? With twenty-seven rooms, plan at least one to two hours. Check the museum's official website for current opening hours and ticket prices before your visit.